


Naruto One Shots & Preferences

by 1RavenBlack



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-07-08 08:14:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 41,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15926444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1RavenBlack/pseuds/1RavenBlack
Summary: Just a book of Naruto one shots and preferences!Feel free to request, either Shinobi World or Modern AU!





	1. Uchiha Itachi

**Name:Uzumaki Shana  
Age:19**

**-Primary role:Assassin,Intel Gathering  
-Secondary:Ninjutsu/Support  
-Kekkei Genkai:Rinnegan  
-Was in Itachi’s year at the Academy   
-Was in Itachi’s team  
-Long red hair,fringe covering her eye  
-Average height**

* * *

 

 

Since the destruction of Konohagakure and the death of the 3rd Hokage,things haven’t been too…nice.  
I was sitting on a roof top,watching the training field where Yamato was training his team,consisting of Sakura,Naruto and Sai.

Sasuke…Itachi’s younger brother, who was once their teammate was now training under Orochimaru,aiming to one day kill his older brother.    
I still remember the days when we’d look after him together,after we’ve finished with training.  
Those were the good old days,when we didn’t have to worry about anything in this world,except what new jutsu to learn or improve.  
But now,Itachi and I bear the burden of the Uchiha Clan slaughter,that had to be done,ordered by Danzo Shimura,and the one and only 3rd Hokage…since they were planning a coup d'etat…which would greatly endanger the good of the village.

Konohagakure…our home…our refuge…

But the peaceful atmosphere had to change,since I’ve been called by the higher ups to deal with the Akatsuki.  
I easily found them,and just as they  were about to leave the scene of the crime,I jump in front of the raven haired male.

**me:Greetings.  
Itachi:Shana.  
me:Itachi.  
Kisame:You two know each other?  
me:Well enough.How is it going?  
Itachi:Just fine.  
Kisame:I  **will go ahead.Don’t take too long.**  
Itachi:*nods*Danzo had to be made aware of my existence.  
me:Danzo is not your main problem anymore,you kno **w that.**    
Itachi:He is with the snake now.  
me:Not for long.  
Itachi:I am aware.  
me:I think we both should stop hiding behind this ridiculous facade,and say what we mean to say.  
Itachi:That is not the wisest decision.  
Me:Itachi,please,see reason.Everything could be solved with the aid of communication.All you need is show honesty,not deceit.   
Itachi:It cannot be done.For the goal of this objective to be achieved,one must sacrifice everything,in the shadows.   
Me:*sighs*You are aware that I can solve this…inconvenience.All of this.   
Itachi:Shana…*touches my cheek*I am thankful for your affections towards me,however I couldn’t reciprocate,while in the situation that I am facing.It would only be cruel to you,and unfair.   
Me:Then take me with you.To the Akatsuki.I could-   
Itachi:Please.You have done too much for me already.It’s enough.Take care of yourself for once.   
Me:Itachi,please,see reason-   
Itachi:Farewell,my dear. **

_However,before I could reach out to him,he vanished in a flock of ravens._   
**Dammit all…**

* * *

 

The Hokage,Tsunade,is a powerful,open-minded person,with a great gambling addiction.   
And it’s my time to act.   
Unknown to most,the 3rd Hokage,during the night of the Uchiha massacre,had written a decree,in which the innocence of Itachi,and the reason behind the slaughter was explained in detail.   
This is the utmost truth and the only thing that could possibly prove his innocence.   
And with this,I must create a plan with the Hokage,so I could get Itachi back.   
The plan was simple,but not for me.   
With the document,we managed to scheme something,along with the most higher up shinobi in the village,and a copy of it was delivered,personally by me,to each kage of the other 4 major countries.   
They must also know of this plan,if something is to happen.   
And it worked… _more or less._  
  
So,I am supposed to feign being a Rogue-nin,so that Pein would want to recruit me.   
This way,I could be closer to Itachi and make him cooperate with me.   
Sasuke can become a hero with the aid of his older brother too.   
And he wouldn’t want to hear that his beloved younger brother is a revengeful,hateful person,who’s willing to sacrifice everything for power.   
This is going to work… _somehow_.   
 We faked some assassinations of some important personalities,added myself high on the Bingo Book,and so,I was met with Deidara and Sasori,who came to recruit me.   
It was hilarious when Deidara saw me.He was shocked beyond measure,for seeing another Rinnegan-user,like his Leader,and challenged me to a duel,which I easily won,with Genjutsu.   
Hope he doesn’t hate me… _too much._

I scratched the Konoha headband and put it back on my forehead,as we walked to the base,where I was greeted by the other members,and a shocked Itachi.   
Since I was from Konohagakure too,Pein made the said male and I room together,which couldn’t be any better.   
 _As I lay in bed,in my light sleepwear,reading a book,I notice the raven-haired male enter the room._

**Itachi:Why?  
Me:Why what?   
Itachi:Why did you do it?   
Me:Do what?   
Itachi:Go through all of this,just to join us.   
Me:Oh,dear,but it was easier than you could expect.   
Itachi:Was it,now?*sits on the bed*   
Me:It was.   
Itachi:What are you planning,Shana?   
Me:Plan something?Nothing.I was just fed up with being underappreciated.You know very well how I am.   
Itachi:It is because I know how you are,that I know you wouldn’t have done anything of the sort,without a hidden reason.So,which is it?   
Me:You will find out in due time,my dear.   
Itachi:I must know now.   
Me:I cannot.You wouldn’t understand.You wouldn’t accept it.   
Itachi:And why wouldn’t I?I thought I was quite the understanding person.I was under the impression that you had the same idea of me.   
Me:It’s not that…I just…   
Itachi:Shana.Don’t make me force it out of you.You know what I’m capable of.  
Me:You’re not the only Dojutsu user,Itachi.   
Itachi:I don’t need the Sharingan for that.   
Me:What do you- **

_He then pinned me on the bed,his face so close to mine that I could feel his breathe on my face as he was looking at me gently with his onyx eyes._

**Me:*soft smile*We haven’t been this close in quite a while…I missed it.  
Itachi:*holds my hands*It has,hasn’t it.I apologize. **  
  
 Taking off his hair tie,his pitch black hair fell in waves over his shoulder,draping over both our faces.  
The look on his face held sorrow and regret. I traced my hands over his bare arms,and rolled us on the side,so I could hold him in a warm embrace,playing with his hair.   
He closed his eyes,with a peaceful expression on his face and a gentle,thankful smile. 

**Itachi:If there is anything in this world that I desire most,is to stay like this with you,forever and know that both you and Sasuke are safe and sound.  
Me:I wish the same.So let’s work for this goal.Together.You don’t have to do this alone.You are not alone,and you will never be.   
Itachi:Are you positive this plan won’t be reckless enough to put you in danger?   
Me:Positive enough.   
Itachi:*smiles*I could never win an argument with your stubbornness.   
Me:And you never will. **

* * *

 

How to talk…what to say…how do I convince him…   
Maybe…if I persuade Konan,she could help me.She is his closest friend,so it might work.   
She just wants peace,and all this damage and death they are creating might not be to her liking.   
 **And I was right.**    
When I told her of the Peace Plan,she seemed intrigued.   
The power of the Tailed Beasts must stay preserved withing their vessels. Nevertheless,we have to create a great havoc against all 5 of the countries,until they realize they stand no chance alone,and they must work together. Of course,I haven’t told Konan and the Kage the same thing.  
It had to be…sugar-coated.   
But it worked at least.  
So Konan talked to Pein,Pein had second thoughts,and together,we started  ** _‘Fake War'_** plan.   
Gathering adepts.   
And with Illusionary Jutsus and Powerful Genjutsu,we’ll be able to trick everyone.

* * *

 

The midnight moonlight was shining over us,as we were leaning on a Sakura tree,fingers intertwined,a peaceful atmosphere having settled. 

**Itachi:Shana…  
Me:Yes,Itachi?   
Itachi:I have something to confess to you.   
Me:What is it?   
Itachi:The reason why I chose this path.A path of disgrace.   
Me:Wasn’t it so you could have Sasuke become the village hero?   
Itachi:Indeed,but not only.   
Me:Then?   
Itachi:I have been overusing my Mangekyo too much…so much that I have been plagued by an unknown disease that is not only blinding me,but also killing me.   
Me:*shocked*No way…   
Itachi:I am sorry that I kept it a secret.But I wished to die,by my little brother’s hand,knowing both of you are okay.   
Me:You should have told me.You don’t have to die!This can be cured.   
Itachi:I highly doubt that-   
Me:Our Hokage is the best medical-nin in history,what are you talking about?I don’t want to hear it.   
Itachi:Shana…   
Me:You will come with me back to Konoha,and you will be cured.Don’t ever think otherwise.   
Itachi:Your optimism always helped me through my darkest times.I should have listened to you.   
Me:Well,you better be thankful I told the Hokage to write that decree,otherwise none of this would have been possible.   
Itachi:*soft chuckle*Then,would I be allowed to confess something else as well? Me:What?Another suicide self-mission?   
Itachi:No.It’s more of a…dream that I’ve had for a while.   
Me:Fine then.Tell me,if that’s what will make you happy.   
Itachi:If your plan succeeds,and this Age of Wars is over,hopefully sooner…would you wish to marry me?   
Me:R-Really?   
Itachi:There is nothing else in this world that would make me happier.   
Me:*hugs him*I could say the same.Yes,Itachi,I will marry you.At any time,in any life or world.I will.   
Itachi:I’m glad there can still be happiness during times like these. **

 He kissed my forehead,smiling,holding me close to him,and we stayed there in a calming silence,bathing in the light of the Moon. 

* * *

 

The War was much more than anyone expected,especially because of the zounds of White Zetsus that kept attacking.   
Honestly,I wasn’t expecting any of this,but what was even worse…   
Was the apparition of a reanimated Madara Uchiha. Nobody expected it. It couldn’t have been the Kages  **OR**  The Akatsuki…so could it mean…Orochimaru? Damn that snake…messing everything up…   
But I never thought he’d actually want to destroy the world?Didn’t he want to become immortal or something?   
 _Ridiculous…_

**Madara:You puny humans think you can win against me and the Ultimate Plan?You think you will get Peace from this silly war planned by a silly girl?What did you tell them?How did you lie to them,to create this War?  
Shana:What?!How are you even alive?!And why do you interfere even?!The world of the living is none of your business!Begone back to your eternal slumber!   
Madara:What did you promise this idiots that they all decided to take up their arms and fight each other?Just as before,the other 3 Shinobi Wars,even the littlest reason could irked an entire Nation.   
Shana:The plan was to create peace between the 5 Nations!Here,everyone united and fought as one for the same cause-Peace!So it IS possible!   
Madara:Then,girl,I am the only obstacle against your sought objective.Eliminate me,and it is the end of the war.   
Itachi:Shana,don’t!You don’t know what could happen-   
Tsunade:Shana,I forbid you to fight Uchiha Madara on your own!We found no way to defeat him yet-   
Shana:And what do you propose I do?!I cannot let all of you die here!I created this mondial mess,and somehow,I have to untangle all these knots of Despair that keep us tied in the same place.   
Itachi:Uzumaki Shana,if you think I’m going to let you just go and get yourself killed like that-   
Shana:You’re not the only one who goes on suicide missions,Itachi.   
Itachi:Shana,don’t you dare-   
Shana:Itachi,I love you,but shut up.You are one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life,so I know you,together with Shikaku,Shikamaru and the rest of the intelligence team,you’ll be able to find a way to get rid of this reanimated demon once and for all.   
Itachi:Please,don’t do this to me.Don’t just give me hope of a brighter future,then snatch it away right in front of my almost blind eyes. Shana:Make sure Sasuke forgives you.I’m sure he will,after the situation will be explained.The Uchiha brother have to be reunited.   
Itachi:Shana- **

The girl cupped her lover’s face,then jumped next to Madara,ready to die for what she believes in.   
Countless hand-signs were thrown here and there,clones,paths,jutsus,and many perfectly aimed hits hit them both,however,only the girl seemed to receive any damage,and the reanimated man would recover in the blink of an eye.   
She fought valiantly,but it was in vain,for her powers was draining at a fast pace,and no matter how strong she was,she couldn’t keep up with a never-ending stamina.   
  
The latest hit left her lying in a crater,unmoving and unblinking,much to everyone’s dismay,but thankfully,her fiancé was not yet there to witness her fall.   
  
Madara:Is that all?Easily.Hardly a challenge.Is this how fragile your Peace is,people?Is that how little you desire it?If so,then you are a bunch of submissive sheep meant to obey the laws imposed by the Supreme Ruler. 

His mocking words dripped with poison,as he took the girl by the neck and kept holding tighter and tighter,trying to break her wind pipe and not allowing her to breathe,despite her struggling.   
To his confusion,the girl smirked,and raising an arm above her head,her other 5 hiding Paths managed to make the man let go of Shana,distracting him,as Itachi and Sasuke were approaching at the speed of light,preparing a joint sealing jutsu. It took the eldest Uchiha by surprise,and caught in the Elemental Ropes,TenTen used a Transportation scroll and took out a Sealing recipient,where Madara was to be forever sealed.  
 At the obvious success,everyone started cheering in glee and happiness at the beginning of a new era of Peace in the Shinobi World,where the  _ **Tyranny of Uchiha Madara was no more.**_

As the girl was struggling to get back to her feet,her fiancé immediately rushed to her side and hugged the life out of her. 

 

**Itachi:Never scare me like that again,Uzumaki Shana!  
Shana:*soft smile*I’m sorry,love.   
Itachi:You were right.I was never alone,and I shouldn’t have tried to take everything on by myself.   
Shana:Is it the right tine to say  _“I told you so”_?   
Itachi:*sighs*It is never the right time to say that.   
Shana:I told you so~!   
Itachi:*chuckles*I hope Tsunade is as good as you say she is,because she’ll need to give us both our health.   
Shana:I can vouch for her skills,my dear.   
Itachi:Then,let’s get home,after all this time.   
Shana:Home…huh.It sounds like an eternity since we’ve last been home together.All three of us.   
Itachi:All three of us…   
Shana:Better train Sasuke next time he asks you to show him how to throw shurikens~.   
Itachi:Shana,don’t be ridiculous.   
Shana:*smiles*You know I love you.   
Itachi:I know,and I love you dearly as well.   
Shana:*winks*The Wedding is in Spring,got it?   
Itachi:So it shall be.All the sakura petals will flow in the wind and we will be happy together,after all this time kept apart.   
Shana:We finally get our happy ever after. **


	2. Kakuzu

**Name:Shizuka (quiet,summer/fragrance) Uzumaki  
Nickname:Red Death,Crimson Assassin,Fire Hunter.   
Age:25   
Kekkei Genkai:Enhanced sensory type,Prison-type Genjutsu,Sense-sealing   
Primary role:Ex-ANBU strategist,Genjutsu master.   
Secondary:Bounty Hunter**

* * *

 

I was sitting upside down on a tree branch,enjoying one of the books from the A Song of Fire and Ice series (aka Game of Thrones) and while I was deeply buried into the narration,I felt 2 people approaching me,but I made no move.It was no ill intent,just a passive one.

**  
-1-:Ne,Kakuzu,are you sure about this?  
-2-:Yes.She is the one Leader requested.   
-1-:But how the hell even?!She’s so small and frail and….!Gaaaah!Can’t I just use her for my ritual or something?!   
-2-:Leader won’t be too happy about it.She’s the one they call Red Death.   
-1-:Screw the Leader!We’ll just tell him she was dead already! -2-:Or not. -1-:Loosen up,old man!C'mooon!   
-2-:You’re lucky you’re immortal,otherwise you’d have been dead the second you decided to speak.   
-1-:*sulks*Daaaamn,Kakuzu….Jashin-sama won’t be too happy about it…   
-2-:Why don’t you sacrifice yourself?You’ll do a good deed for both him and I,like the good Samaritan.   
-1-:Fuck you,Kakuzu…   
-2-:You wish.   
-1-:Ewww,no way,you relic!   
-2-:Remember never to stitch you again.Ungrateful pest.**

Woaw.Such a nice team.The first one,a silvery haired,purple-eyed,foul-mouthed tall Jashinist,carrying a red scythe,and the other one,an even taller one,with a white hood and a black mask,green eyes,having a…suitcase?Oh well.   
I poof on another branch going upside down,facing the green eyed one,my long fire red hair falling down like a velvety curtain.

**  
me:*clears throat*As you might have not noticed,I am well aware of your existence.Not that you were too discreet,by any means.So,if I may ask,what would your business be with me?  
-1-:None of your concern,bitch!   
me:As I was being the subject of your conversation,I do believe that it is,in fact, _MY_  concern.   
-2-:Excuse him,miss,his brain doesn’t work properly.Our Leader requested to see you.We are supposed to escort you to him.   
me:Leader…?Who exactly is your Leader?And,for common courtesies,since you already know my name,I suppose…ahem.I am Shizuka.And you?   
-2-:I am Kakuzu,and this brain dead idiot is my assigned partner,Hidan.   
Hidan:Will you stop insulting me already?!   
Kakuzu:No.   
me:Right…Nice to meet you…both.   
Kakuzu:Our Leader told us to tell you one specific name,and you will know the person.   
Me:And?   
Kakuzu:Uzumaki Karin.**

  
My eyes widened and my book feel out of my grasp as I heard that name once again,after almost more than 1 decade.Karin…My long lost poor little sister…   
It was like the time stopped,as I was staring dead ahead,and as I snapped back to reality,I looked deep into his eyes,in disbelief.

**  
me:Uzumaki Karin,as in,a red haired young girl,with redish-pink eyes,glasses,a cool regenerative body propriety and sealing jutsus?  
Kakuzu:Uh…yes.That is her,great description.   
Hidan:Eh…So the stupid Leader knew her…still can’t think why we couldn’t just say she had died prior to our arrival…   
me:Hidan,I advise you shut up,or else you’ll wish you never blinked.Anyways,let’s go.**

As I jumped off the tree,Kakuzu handed me my book back,we headed in (almost) silence to the HQ.Obviously…Hidan couldn’t stop talking.

**  
me:Is he always like this?  
Kakuzu:Unfortunately.   
me:Can’t you kill him?   
Kakuzu:He’s immortal.   
Hidan:That’s right,bitch!I sacrifice idiots like you to the great Jashin-sama,for my immortality!   
me:You know that I can make you shut up,right?   
Hidan:No,you can’t!   
me:Wanna bet?   
Hidan:Yeah!   
me:How much?   
Hidan:All of Kakuzu’s money!It’s in his suitcase!   
Kakuzu:Don’t bet what’s not yours,idiot!   
me:*smirks*I accept.   
Hidan:And if you lose,I get to sacrifice you!   
me:Deal.   
Kakuzu:Stop this infantile bet.   
me:You’ll thank me,Kakuzu~**

As I said that,I raised 2 fingers to my eye level,I channeled my chakra to my palm,and said  ** _‘SHIRU’!_**  (Seal) as I slapped his mouth with great force,making him fly away into the distance,making me smirk.

**  
me:That should make him stay away,for a while,and make him unable to speak.You can thank me later.  
Kakuzu:That reduced a great deal of stress and rage.Thanks.   
me:Don’t worry.He was getting too irritating anyways.**

_In a few hours,the 3 of us got to the HQ,situated near the border with Amegakure,and as I entered alone in the Leader’s office,being greeted by a girl with blue hair and a man with orange hair and the Rinnegan._

**  
girl:Welcome,Shizuka.  
me:Um…hello.   
man:My name is Pein and I am the Leader of this peace-bringing organization called the Akatsuki.   
me:Okay,but what does it have to do with my sister?   
Pein:Figured you’d be interested in information regarding her existence status,in exchange to your loyalty to our organization.  
me:Where do you have intel from?   
Pein:Your sister is the subordinate of an ex-partner of one of the group members.His name is Akasuna no Sasori.   
me:Akasuna no Sasori…So,you’re telling me,she’s working for Orochimaru,then?   
Pein:Precisely.For more information,go ask him.   
me:Thank you.   
Pein:Also,Uzumaki Shizuka,welcome to the Akatsuki.   
me:Thank you.**

  
With that,Konan showed me my room,gave me green ring with the word  ** _'Fox’_** ,gave me the Akatsuki straw hat and cloak,and with a smile,she left,leaving me alone,with my thoughts.   
**_Peace_** …Such a heavenly utopia.We all wish for it,yet nobody acts to achieve it.Such a pity.

I got my book and went to the living room,where other Akatsuki members were gathered,chatting or doing something.

I spotted Kakuzu on the couch,with the suitcase on the floor,counting money and I sat near him,saying a soft greeting.He nodded,acknowledging my existence,not breaking the count of the money.

**  
Kakuzu:I suggest you make acquaintance with the red eyed one and shark face.They are the only decent ones.  
me:Okay…By the way…are you in charge of the money,in this organization?   
Kakuzu:Certainly.   
me:Then here.My share of productivity from the last bounty hunts.   
Kakuzu:You’re a bounty hunter?   
me:Didn’t really have what to do after leaving my village.And I never settled in one for real,so I had to live off something.   
Kakuzu:What for?   
me:Couldn’t kill the current Kazekage…he is a great friend of mine…   
Kakuzu:Having emotional bonds is a weakness for a shinobi.   
me:May be so,but I don’t care.It’s a strength for me.   
Kakuzu:You were kicked out of your village.   
me:I left.But even So?I had no ties with the village.And I didn’t appreciate being mocked,thrown around,and being used.But with having an emotional bond with someone,it gives you a reason not to give up,and to keep on fighting.   
Kakuzu:If you say so…**

  
Suddenly,the red eyed male with long black hair,tied in a pony tail,having a calm,passive expression on his face approached me,asking about the book I was reading.   
I found out his name is Itachi,and his partner’s name is Kisame,and so,we started chatting about books and other philosophical subjects.All was well,and I felt like I belonged here,until a certain Jashinist decided to barge in the room with his sky the and an angry expression,glaring and pointing at me.

**  
Hidan:YOU!YOU,BITCH!HOW DARE YOU?!  
me:You’re polluting the air,Hidan.   
Hidan: _SHUT UP!_ I’ll so Kill you right now!   
me:I want to see you try.**

_  
He charged forward,throwing his weapon at me,while I was happily sipping from my cup of tea.Was I worried?Nope.Why?Because I knew the outcome.What was it?  
Kakuzu dashed forward,caught the scythe handle before it touched my neck,and with his detachable fist,he punched Hidan.  
_

**  
Kakuzu:Leader prohibited the use of weapons or any kind of damage. Hidan:Fuck Leader’s orders!  
me:Kakuzu,don’t bother with someone like him.I’ll solve it.**

I went near him,stepped on his neck and made him look me in the eyes,muttering  ** _“Shirugan”_** ,imprisoning him in my Genjutsu Jail,making him shut up and cower in fear,away from here.

**  
me:Done.  
Kakuzu:Can’t you be my partner instead?   
me:Gladly.**

  
After that,I found out that the others’ names were Deidara,Sasori,Tobi and Zetsu,and we got along quite well.   
I even managed to briefly get across the surface of the subject regarding Karin,with Sasori.   
And tomorrow,was my first bounty hunt with Kakuzu and Hidan.We were supposed to hunt down a monk called Chiriku,in the Land of Fire.   
Thankfully,Hidan also decided to accept me as his partner,and is only bothered with making countless sacrifices to Jashin-Sama,and Kakuzu doesn’t find me annoying enough to want to kill me.All is well~ We arrived in front of a huge iron wall,that was separating the outside world from the temple.

**  
me:Okay so…How do we proceed?  
Kakuzu:Allow me.**

He used his steel release on his left arm and punched the Wall,fully breaking it.I whistled in surprise,watching the wall pieces fall around.  **  
Impressive~**  
What was also impressive was how all the monks started scattering around frantically,calling for their leader,Chiriku.

**Hidan:It doesn’t look like these guys want to convert to the Jashin religion.None of these guys do…  
me:All the more sacrifices for you.   
Monk:That cloak…It’s the rumored..No doubt about it!It’s the Akatsuki!   
me:Oh hey,you’re right.**

_Just then,a serious looking monk,Chiriku,started descending on the stairs._

**  
Hidan:We have another virtuous looking one…  
Kakuzu:He’s not just virtuous.He’s also got a 30 million ryo bounty on his head in our Bingo Book.   
me:*whistle*Now that’s a lot of money.   
Hidan:Hey…You’re not after money,are you?You’ll go to hell if you kill a monk for something like that.   
me:Wasn’t it obvious though?   
Kakuzu:Money is the key that opens all doors.That’s just what I want.   
Chiriku:I don’t know what you guys want,but please leave quietly.   
Hidan:No meaningless slaughter,huh?But it doesn’t work like that in my religion.   
Kakuzu:The Temple of Fire is the greatest Shinobi Temple in the Land of Fire.And it is said that all the monks control the special power known as the Gift of the Sages.And the 30 million ryo man is a Ninja who was once chosen as a member of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve who protected the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.And the proof is the breech-cloth with the Land of Fire emblem on it.   
me:I think I saw it before…   
Hidan:Oh,really?Is he that incredible?   
Kakuzu:Don’t get careless.You’ll die.   
Hidan:Don’t give me that…!**

With that,Hidan started charging forward,Kakuzu following his lead,as   
I stayed behind to observe his mysterious jutsu.   
As they approached the monk,he went in his stance,creating a huge holy aura that resembled a golden Buddha with infinite arms.   
The waves of holy light and chakra were radiating around him so much and in complete balance,that it hit me,being left awestruck at his technique.   
_What is this exactly?!It’s leaving me so confused at its holiness,it’s amazing!_

Kakuzu attacked first,going to punch Chiriku’s face,but he got parried twice,and the holy Buddha suddenly became demon-like,as the infinite hands transformed into fists and started attacking him,making him fly and fall to the ground with a great thud.   
Same happened to Hidan.   
With a sigh,I approach those 2 and looked at their collapsed bodies.

**me:You may be the immortal duo,but you sure don’t like to analyze things.But it’s good for me,I don’t have to get beaten to a pulp,just to test the ground,like you guys do.**

The monks started to chant happily  ** _“Lord Chiriku Won!”_**  as the Demon Deity became peaceful once again,then fading away.The great monk maintained his fighting stance,while staring at me,trying to think of my future intent,as I smirked

**  
Chiriku:Leave,and I will make their funeral.  
Hidan:Who would accept a different religion’s funeral?I’d receive divine retribution from Jashin-sama…Now I’m mad…Hey…If this guy isn’t a Jinchuriki,I can defend my commandments,right?   
Kakuzu:Do as you like,but his body is worth money.Don’t go overboard,make sure his recognizable…   
Hidan:Exchanging life for money isn’t something for people to do.Hey Kakuzu,stay out of this!   
me:I’d like to hear more about this faith vs money war,but I’m busy.   
Chiriku:Chiriku of the Temple of Fire will not lose to wicked man like you!*activating his Demon Buddha jutsu*   
me:Sorry but~I’m no man.**

With that,I started throwing random kunais around the monk with a certain seal on each of them,so that I can travel in an instant to their location,and avoid the Buddha Punches.   
I’m not called the Red Death for nothing.All you see is red,before you die.   
Fast and swift,I take advantage that he doesn’t move his position,and I travel from kunai to kunai,and throw explosive seals embedded with different elemental chakra power.   
Explosions have amazing destructive power,but what’s better?Elemental explosions!

I create a Kage Bunshin and start to do different combos with her,like Fire and Wind or Lightning and Water.   
And since the immortal duo decided to fight too,in a matter of minutes,Chiriku was dead,the temple was in ruins and most of the followers were sacrificed to Hidan’s God.   
Soon enough,we left for the Bounty Exchange Point closest to us,to get our well-deserved money.   
Although,that couldn’t have been done without those 2 fighting over nothing…Both with words and with fists,but Kakuzu just can’t be bothered with it.

At the Exchange Point,I was greeted with the familiar corpse smell and Hidan went out,annoyed with it.It might have gotten to his clothes… Oh well,it’s not pleasant for sure.   
There,the man gave us the money suitcase and advised us to get rid of Hidan.Well,it’d be a wonder if we could.   
Before he could open the door to go outside,I stopped Kakuzu,by grabbing his wrist.

**  
me:Better be careful,outside there are lots of shinobi outside.  
Kakuzu:Like that could bother us.   
me:Just saying…**

He nodded at me,and when we got outside,Hidan was already in the midst of the fight with some Konoha shinobi.   
With that,he went to destroy the platform where the Shadow User was sitting,to break his jutsu,and as the other one with the Breech-cloth same as Chiriku came,also known as Sarutobi Asuma,high in the Bingo Book as well,told the other 2 to fall back,I jump next to Hidan,twirling around,making red Genjutsu butterflies appear around me as I giggle mischievously and I pull out the weapons from his torso.

**me:Man,they hit your vital points on fleek~!Lucky you’re immortal,or else,you wouldn’t stand a chance.No wonder Konohagakure has the best strategists in the 5 countries~  
Hidan:Man,that sure hurt like a bitch!Godamn,you’re so going to pay for this!   
me:Too bad~!Good luck in this fight.   
Hidan:What?!You 2 idiots won’t help?   
me:Nope.*twirling around to Kakuzu*Too bothersome,dealing with them.The boy is a genius,and Sarutobi Asuma is really strong.As you see,they work well together.Also…seeing you struggle is quite fun~!   
Kakuzu:You mess too much while fighting.You’ll get killed.   
Hidan:Eh..!Like that’s gonna happen!**

_They started fighting again,and Hidan didn’t even bother to dodge the shurikens.  
Asuma managed to use his jutsu to catch Hidan in a great explosion.  
But it was too late for him.Hidan licked his blood,and most likely transformed._

**me:Hey,Shadow user boy.  
boy:Huh?   
me:I’m sorry for your leader.It sure is a pity,this senseless fighting.This world is messed up.Fighting,killing,making wars,in their false pretext of gaining peace.There is no peace through war,there is only destruction and sorrow.Unfortunately,the Akatsuki is no different.   
boy:You sure remind me of someone I know…   
me:Who is it?   
boy:Uzumaki Naruto.   
me:*shocked*Wh-who…?   
boy:You know him?   
me:I-…I’m not sure…But we share the same surname…   
brunet:Oh,that’s right.You’re Uzumaki Shizuka.High on the Bingo Book,but also a well known assassin and bounty hunter.   
me:I do what I can to survive.Regardless…I’d love meeting an unknown relative.   
boy:*muttering*So there are sane people in the Akatsuki too…**

After this,the smoke cleared,revealing a transformed Hidan,in his ritualistic circle,unharmed.Unfortunately,the jutsu backfired on Asuma,and now he has great burns on his body.   
**Ouch…**

Asuma’s team wondered how did he get burnt,and I explained to them how the ritual works.Kakuzu started saying how this is going to be 35 million ryo more…I can’t let him get his body too…not in this conditions…   
Hidan used his sharp metal pole and stabbed himself in the stomach and left leg,making Asuma fall on the ground.   
The other 3 were trying to figure out what to do to stop the tragedy from happening,and I see t he smart boy using a shadow jutsu,and I sent a butterfly above it,making more shadow for him to use and sent another to circle Hidan’s ritualistic circle.Hopefully,this way he’ll understand what to do.Concentrate,boy…

**Kakuzu:If you don’t kill them already,I’m going to do it myself.I’m not letting this money go.  
Me:Nooow now,Kakuzu…let’s give Hidan a chance…right?Don’t be rash…   
Hidan:Fuck off,Kakuzu!I can deal with these pussies on my own!   
me:You masochistic,ritualistic freak…**

Come on,kid.Figure it out already.I know you can.   
His eyes widened and started slowly moving backwards,then his teammates asked him what was he doing,and he started explaining it all.   
That’s it!He got it!I’m so glad…Kakuzu wasn’t as happy though.Just thoroughly impressed by the boy’s cleverness.   
He managed to get Hidan out of the circle,immobilized him,and Asuma cut his head…but in vain.   
Despite Kakuzu and I making fun of him,he wasn’t done for.Just a talking head that surprised everyone.Kakuzu went to grab the talking head’s hair and he kept complaining about the pain and other garbage.   
**Please don’t attack anymore…**  
But just after trying to tell Kakuzu to go back to the HQ,he jumped faster than the eye could see and attacked Asuma really badly.   
Godamn…

**me:Now,Kakuzu,don’t bother to stitch him together…he’s just going to be a pain.Let’s just go.I can carry his body,no problem-  
Kakuzu:I’m not leaving without my bounty.   
Hidan went to finish his ritual and Kakuzu attacked the other 3.Me?I can’t do anything.If I help the boy,I’ll be called a traitor.Otherwise,I won’t get the chance to see the Uzumaki boy.   
me:Kakuzu…Let them live.Hidan’s already got your..um…bounty.Let’s just go.   
Kakuzu:That heart of yours…is going to be the death of you.   
me:I’m fine with it.But please,let’s just go!Let them mourn their leader in peace!**

With that,more of their team mates started flooding the place,and we had to retreat.   
Finally.   
Kakuzu and Hidan weren’t too happy about it,but whatever.And back at the HQ,I had a long talk with Kakuzu that ended in me promising not to get in with their **'meaningless slaughter’**.   
But promises are made to be broken.And hopefully,Kakuzu doesn’t hate me.He said he doesn’t.He said I’m the only one he can really get along with.   
Sharing some common views,despite our differences,exchanging war stories and so on.   
He’s like…90 years old,so he has really interesting stories to tell.Like how he was kicked out of Takigakure because he wasn’t able to kill the Shodaime Hokage,Senju Hashirama.   
I also told him about my sister,Karin and how I had to run away from that village,because they were exploiting my mum thanks to the family jutsu,which contains being able to regenerate a person’s health back,if they bite our flesh.   
Our mother died because of this,during war time.But I pride myself with letting being bitten only once,and that was to save a friend’s life.   
**In vain,though.**  
From the information that I’ve gathered from Sasori and other reliable sources,he promised to help me get in contact with my sister and save her.   
Maybe he doesn’t understand or feel it,but the 2 of us managed to form a bond that I haven’t had since I met Gaara.

* * *

 

During the last months,I managed to sneak out of the HQ

_(being called the Akatsuki Ambassador by the Leader)_

and met up with the Konoha and Suna shinobi,discussed fiery about alliances and mutual helping,I confessed my condolences for the casualties that occurred,like the Kazekage kidnapping,the death of a Suna elder and of Asuma.

It was a lot of negotiation,but I managed to make some sort of agreement between Konoha,Suna and the Akatsuki.

Glad that Tsunade and Gaara are more open-minded.

We offer them protection when needed,and they come to us for the most difficult missions and so on.More work,but also,more money and relations,which is crucial in these days.

One of the missions we had to do was kill some shinobi at the border of Kusagakure and Takigakure.   
_Reason?_  
**Intel gathering.**  
_My partner?_  
**Kakuzu.**  
Since Amegakure is a neighbour of Kusagakure,we arrived to our destination soon enough,without wasting much time,and chatting here and there.   
**Target-spotted.**  
No enemies in the next 5 km.I prepare myself for the Silent Kill Assassination,making my Genjutsu butterflies fly around the target,then sent a silent seal kunai behind the victim,teleported in a blink of an eye behind the target,and slit his throat,blood falling silently as he fell on the ground and I put the target in a transport scroll,handing it to Kakuzu.

**me:Mission accomplished.That was quite easy,don’t you think?I bet even a Chunin could handle this…  
Kakuzu:Too easy indeed…Behind you!**

_I turn around quickly and in the next second,I was flying away,hitting the tree that Kakuzu was in.Ouch,that hurts so much…_ **  
Kakuzu:Shizuka,are you okay?  
me:A-alive…But that was a…   
-?-:A decoy indeed,dear sweet and smart Shizuka.   
me:Who…?How…?   
-?-:Already forgotten me?That’s just plain sad.   
me:You are…!   
-?-:Indeed.Your team’s squad leader.   
me:But how…?!I thought you were dead!I saw you die…   
Yuzuki:That power of yours that you have sure is amazing,Quite like your mother and sister,right?Like any Uzumaki,you have a tremendous life force,but that can also be stopped.Just like your mother did.   
me:She died for Karin…   
Yuzuki:Yes!Not for you!Because you abandoned them!You abandoned us all!   
me:I didn’t mean to!I didn’t want to die!I had to get them out of there,and I returned to get them back-   
Yuzuki:But it was too late.Your mother died,having her life bitten out of her.And your sister?With Orochimaru now.Nobody can get ahold of you.And now,there was you.Greatest bounty hunter,relations everywhere,then got involved as an Ambassador of the Akatsuki,making ties with Konoha and Suna…You were unreachable as well.   
me:That’s why…You planned this mission…to capture me…and use me like they used her…?   
Yuzuki:There are so many wounded in the village,you couldn’t begin to imagine.Your poor sister had bites everywhere.For such a small child,I was surprised she hadn’t died the next day.   
me:No…I’m not tied to that village anymore…I’d rather die then let you do that!   
Yuzuki:*tsk tsk*But dear,you don’t have choice.And not you,nor your partner can help you get out of this mess.But you should feel great.Kusagakure’s martyr,dying to save the lives of so many others,so selfless,sacrificing her body…   
me:NO!NEVER!SHUT UP,YOU BASTARD!THAT’S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!   
Yuzuki:Watch me,kiddo.**

With that,hundreds of shinobi started crowding my vision,but how?!I was sure I sensed no chakra in this radius!At this rate I’m really going to get captured…dammit!   
_Kakuzu…even if I don’t make it..he has to run away!_  
I used my butterflies to explode around,dealing massive damage,then used lighting chain seals on people,and one little pink butterfly made its way to Kakuzu,telling him to run away and save himself.   
That was it.  
Despite our strength,there were way too many people to deal with.Accepting my fate,I tried commit suicide,but even that was in vain,as I felt a huge blow to the back of my head,letting me fall on the ground,motionlessly,darkness taking over me.  
  


**_~~~~~2 weeks later~~~~~_ **

 

_How did Karin survive this pain?With each bite,it hurts even worse…to endure such abuse…poor mum…and to think I was foolish enough to fall in this trap… **HIS**  trap…_

Pain is the only feeling surging my whole body,arms,legs,neck…everything is pain and depression.

Everything is blurry,I can barely sense any presence,but I can hear them coming in the room,and feel their dirty hands and bites,and then they just leave me there,on the cold ground,my hands shackled,humiliated,the bottom underwear being the only cloth covering me.

The rest of my body is covered by bites anyways.

_But it’s fine.  
I can feel it._

Life is being drained away at a fast rate,and I will pass away soon enough.No more pain,no more sorrow,no more…friends…and…no more Kakuzu…

No,don’t be so vain.They’ll be fine without you.Comrades,friends,they all die,somehow,no big deal.And Kakuzu is immortal and has Hidan.He won’t miss me.

I didn’t realize how much I was wallowing in misery and self-pity until I heard war cries,shouts,explosions and other sounds from outside.   
It doesn’t concern me much,since I’m in here,waiting to save those idiots once again.Maybe this time will be the last?   
**Hopefully.**  
With a sigh,I let the dizziness and half-consciousness take over me once again,as I let my head hang,my long red hair covering my face.   
Slowly,the door to my cell room was opened and I heard a thud in front of me,but I couldn’t see or sense who it was.   
In a matter of seconds,my shackles were opened,and as I was falling forward,a pair of strong warm arms brought me close to them,letting me lean on their chest.

**  
-?-:What have they done to you…  
**

_It was Kakuzu._  
Wait,am I dreaming?   
Is this true?   
Or did I die?   
Genjutsu?   
What is reality and what is dream?   
I cannot differentiate anymore…

**  
Kakuzu:Shizuka…I let them do this to you…for so long…Don’t die on me.Not today.I’m taking you back home and Tsunade will save you.I promise..**

Having heard this promise,I managed a small smile and tried to mutter  ** _“Thank you”_** ,as darkness took over me.   
When I woke up,I was in a room full of light,making it difficult to open my eyes and see properly,this room seems familiar…   
That is the symbol of Fire…   
**Konoha’s Hospital room?**

**  
-?-:Good grief,I thought you wouldn’t make it.Im glad you’re awake.  
me:Sakura….chan…?   
Sakura:You can talk?That’s a great improvement.But please don’t force yourself,or the vocal chords might malfunction,or the muscles may strain.   
me:O…kay.   
Sakura:Also,you have a visitor.He hasn’t left your side this whole time.Until…he had to chase the other one away.He was making too much noise…**

Smiling at me,she left,letting Kakuzu enter back in the room.Unlike usually,his hoodie,mask,cloak and forehead protector were removed,letting the stitched face and brown long hair be shown.

**  
Kakuzu:Finally awake,I see.*sitting on the bed*  
me:Thank you…Kakuzu…   
Kakuzu:No need for that.It was my fault you got caught.I couldn’t save you.   
me:Shut up.**

I put 2 fingers above his nose,where the brows meet.

**me:Stop frowning.You’ll get wrinkles,old man.**

_His face relaxed,letting a low chuckle,but then got serious again,one hand tracing me,from my face,my neck,to the waist,then let a 'tsk’ sound._

**  
me:20 years I thought so that I wouldn’t have all these humiliating marks on my body,and one small mistake,and I almost die.  
Kakuzu:Tsunade said they will disappear in a week.   
me:So I’m going to hide for a week.Sounds fair.   
Kakuzu:You need to go out.Fresh air,the sun light and warmth…You need those.   
me:I can’t go out like this.Plus,I can’t walk on my own.   
Kakuzu:Mask or a scarf,jacket and regular pants.Those should do,should you feel uncomfortable with your body at the moment.   
me:I do…   
Kakuzu:I am here for you,until you get your full health and strength back.   
me:And after that?Will you still be here for me?   
Kakuzu:If you want me to,then yes.   
me:Then I do.I want to have you by my side.Always.   
Kakuzu:Then so it shall be.**

manage to pull enough strength to raise myself and hug him weakly,having a small smile on my face,muttering another  ** _'thank you’_**.He embraces me lightly,trying not to hurt me,and playing with my hair.

**  
Kakuzu:If I ask you to,will you also stay by my side?  
me:Yes.   
Kakuzu:Why?   
me:Because I love you.   
Kakuzu:…What?**

_I smile bashfully,blushing and looking away,nodding softly.With a low chuckle,he put his hand on my cheek and made me look at him,then he smiled softly._

**  
Kakuzu:That’s good,because I love you too and I don’t intend to lose you ever again.I don’t want to outlive yet another youngster.  
me:Oh,dear-!Come one,don’t say that!It makes you look like a paedophile…*giggles*But,you look great for someone your age,old man~   
Kakuzu:Glad to know my appearance is to your liking.   
me:Not only your appearance,but you,in general.   
Kakuzu:If even someone like me can find love…you must truly be an angel.   
me:D-don’t flatter me…I’m noone special…   
Kakuzu:You are.For the villages,for the Akatsuki…and for me,especially.   
me:Then…I’m glad.   
Kakuzu:Your loving heart and caring self is what makes you,you.   
me:You said it will be the death of me.   
Kakuzu:I was wrong.It will be the death of me.My cold self.   
me:So…you found something more important than money?   
Kakuzu:Not something,someone.Someone special,worth fighting and protecting.Someone I love.You.**

Letting me slowly back on the pillow,he started kissing me softly,his hand still caressing my cheek,and mine in his hair,when I heard a gasp,followed by a curse,then yelling and a great thud on the ground.Looking out,we found out that Hidan wanted to see us,and was greatly surprised by our act of kissing and fell on a bush of roses with lots of thorns,all while cursing furiously.Well…That is a great sight to see.At least he won’t bother us anymore~

**_  
Dear Kakuzu,  
I love you._ **


	3. Hoshigaki Kisame

**Name:Nami Yuriko  
Age:21**

**-Primary role:Medical nin  
-Secondary:Poison master/Assassin  
-Kekkei Genkai:Shuts off her vital systems,entering in a coma-like death state while in grave danger.  
-Iwagakure made her a rogue nin after choosing to save her team mates rather than finishing the mission.  
-Has fox traits  
-Best friend:Deidara**

* * *

So,this was the end of my career as an Iwagakure ANBU captain.Damn me,with my empathy and compassion…I guess I just might not really be cut out for this Shinobi world.But it’s fine.I can survive on my own too.I’m a Poison master and a survivor. ** _Captain Nami on duty…_**

_And I’m a Fox,for Kami’s sake.A medical fox.I should be fine on my own.I hope…  
_

* * *

##  **_  
_****_Day 5  
_**

_Dear diary.  
What the fuck have I been doing?Did I really think it’ll be okay to stay by myself in a forest,when the Tsuchikage apparently ordered my demise?  
Godamn you,traitor…  
Well,I have to run for my life.Ja ne~_

* * *

While I was aimlessly running,someone grabbed me by the scruff of my blouse and kicked me hard into the ground,making a crater.I must have hit my head pretty hard,resulting in my vision being quite blurry.Despite all this,I could see that I was surrounded by countless rogue nins.I could activate my Kekkei Genkai,I guess…since I have no other option.I cannot run away,nor fight all of them.Or maybe…maybe I just might be able to.  
I jump high into the air,and then hit the ground hard,making them all be thrown into the air,then I dart away,preparing my poison darts,insta-kill.  
I jump from branch to branch,glancing back,blowing into the dart straw,launching the darts into the necks of my attackers,until,I stopped being pursued.  
 _Lucky me,huh?_  
I also arrived to a gorgeous glade,full of flowers,a flowing sparkly blue ribbon of a river near it,tons of colourful flowers and butterflies,and I could only stare in wonder at this fairy tale-like picturesque scenery.  
That is,until I was brought back to reality by a rough yet calm voice.  
 **  
-?-:Quite gorgeous,don’t you think?  
me:Indeed.  
-?-:Ah,I apologize for my rude behaviour.I forgot my manners.My name is Hoshigaki Kisame.  
me:Oh yes,I heard about you.Even in Iwagakure,you are famous.  
Kisame:Is that so~  
me:*nods*So what is your purpose here,so far away, into the Land of Earth?  
Kisame:I have come with a proposition,so if you would please hear me out-  
me:I’m listening.  
Kisame:The Akatsuki wants to recruit you.Your abilities have countlessly proven to be of great quality and worth,and we would like you to be our next addition.  
me:I have just one question.Did you recruit anyone else from Iwagakure?  
Kisame:Yes,we did.His name is-  
me:Deidara.  
Kisame:*chuckles*So you have heard of him.  
me:We…used to be best friends.  
Kisame:How nice.So,what would your answer be?Have you any query regarding this subject?  
me:When do we start?**  
  
He smirked and motioned me to follow him to the Akatsuki headquarter,where I received a cloak and a blue ring with  _ **“sly”**_ written on it,and I was teamed with Kisame.  
As he showed me the way to my room,I heard an explosion,lots of curses,and the HQ shaking.  
  
 **me+Kisame:Deidara…  
Dei:*in the distance*TOBI,YOU BASTARD!DON’T YOU EVER DARE ENTER IN MY ROOM WITHOUT PERMISSION,YEAH!  
me:Same speech impediment…**  
  
Just then,a male high pitch voice could be heard,apologizing frantically,and in sight a boy with an orange swirly mask started running at us,then he took me by the arms,twirled with me around,then made me be in front of him,as he hid behind me.  
 **  
Tobi:Tobi is a good boy,Foxy-nee chan!Tobi promises!Please,nee-chan,save Tobi from Deidara-senpai!  
Dei:TOBI,GET BACK HERE THIS INSTA–….Nami?Is…that….you,um?  
me:The one and only Kitsune girl.  
Dei:What are you doing here,um?!Weren’t you the ANBU captain of Iwagakure?  
me:Past tense.The…Tsuchikage…was a COMPLETE BASTARD,THAT OLD SHIT BAG RELIC!  
Dei:What did he do?!  
me:He shunned me from my own village!  
Dei:But why?!  
me:Because…I preferred to save my comrades…no…my friends,instead of completing the mission.  
Dei:I guess…that was always your shinobi flaw,as they said…yeah…  
me:Compassion and shinobi don’t mix.And if that’s true,I’d rather give up being a ninja,than being heartless.End of story.  
Dei:It’s great having my best friend back though.They never deserved people like us.Far more superior than they will ever be.  
me:So condescending.  
Dei:*smirks*You know me,yeah!**  
  
With that,he gave a grin,then started running after Tobi again,as I laughed at their silliness.  
Kisame showed me my room,and just before leaving,he reminded me about my forehead protector.  
That’s right…I never got the chance to cut the bonds tying me up with that damned village.  
 **Never mind that.  
** I took a kunai from my pouch and cut a line in the middle of it,signifying me being a rogue nin.  
 ** _No,an Akatsuki.  
_**

* * *

This past months I’ve been getting along quite well with the guys,especially with Deidara,Kisame and Itachi.  
Missions were easy peasy lemon squeezy,and as for my medical ninjutsu?Nothing big came up.These guys are pros,after all.  
 _That was,until this next mission…  
_  
Leader-sama paired me up with Kisame to go to the Land of Water to find some important feudal people and assassinate them.  
 _Easy enough,right?  
_

##  **Wrong.**

* * *

It’s great that Kisame is in his element,having the ground advantage,so it didn’t matter me being unfamiliar with these places.And it’s great that the Shinobi Village of Kirigakure and the Feudal lords have nothing to o with each other,so they can’t really interfere.  
  
Assassinating them was piece of cake.Kisame was the tank,staying in front,fighting them effortlessly,while I stayed in the trees,shooting poison needles at them.  
 _We make quite a great team,right!  
_ As we made our escape,we were cornered by countless Kirigakure ANBU and surprisingly,even the Yondaime Mizukage,Yagura the Sanbi Jinchuriki was here.  
 **Well…we’re screwed.**  
Kisame even had to transform in his Shark form,but again,since I wasn’t stealthed and couldn’t go into hiding to start throwing the poison needles,it was difficult for me to fight properly.I’m not strong at taijutsu…but I guess I could work something out.  
  
I started punching the ones approaching me,sending them into trees.Maybe they didn’t die,but they surely won’t wake up too soon.Slice and dice,slice and dice,throw kunais,stab with needles,Kisame is quite exhausted as well,Yagura is in his Version 2,being able to control Isobu the Sanbi Bijuu.Well,that’s remarkable,I agree,but  ** _NOT IN THIS SITUATION!_**  
Okay,Kisame is gravely wounded and Samehada was thrown away.  
I ran to it,use the Teleportation Jutsu on it,putting it in my utility scroll,despite it attacking me for not being his rightful owner,and summon 15 shadow clones,making them blow themselves up with the explosives bombs that Deidara gave me,in case of danger.Guess he was right,for once.  
  
And I might not be too strong ,but in the confusion and smoke,I managed to punch away the Mizukage and drag Kisame away from the battle,leaving the Land of Water for good.But he was unconscious and fatally wounded,so I had to retort to my medical ninjutsu right away.  
I made a small table to put him on it,grabbed my utility scroll,to get the instruments,and started the operation.It requires a shit ton of chakra,but I will be fine.I have to be,so I can save him.  
  
Increase cellular regeneration,use the scalpel,send regular waves of chakra to his chakra points and nervous system,make sure his heart beats regularly,take the poison out of his system,purify the blood,treat the major gashes,check for any possible internal or external hemorrhage,any possible organ alteration or injury,treat the minor scars and bruises,hydrate him as much as possible.I hope taking in account that he has both mammal and fish characteristics was the good thing to do.  
  
Gosh…I’m drained of my chakra…this was a lot to do…hours of procedures and tons of chakra drained…but he is waking up.He will be okay…  
I got the food and water containers from my utility scroll and help him eat and drink a bit.  
  
 **Kisame:What happened?  
me:Dont force yourself to talk.It might strain the muscles…  
Kisame:I am fine,thank you,Nami-san.  
me:Well…they might be strong,but they aren’t too smart…  
Kisame:You got us away from them?  
me:Yeah…for a while…I guess using countless of confusing decoys really paid off.  
Kisame:You’re a smart fox.Thank you for saving me.  
me:Any time.  
Kisame:W-wait a secon…my…my Samehada…I lost it on the battleground…it was taken by them…  
me:Don’t worry,Kisame.I have it.I will give it back when we get to the HQ,okay?Until then,can you walk?  
Kisame:Thank you,Nami.I owe you.  
me:Nah,don’t fret.I care about you.You are my friend.I would never leave a friend die.  
Kisame:You really have a precious heart…  
me:*chuckles*So I’ve been told…**  
  
I helped him get up,and surprisingly,he is strong enough,despite just having recovered.He truly has an amazing body…  
On the other hand,the lack of chakra was taking its toll on me,and while I was trying to walk,I could only hear a faint voice,see black,and lose consciousness,as I hit the hard ground.

##  **_—_ **

**-?-:She will be fine.She just overused her chakra,that’s all.Rest will help her recover.  
**  
 _Kakuzu…?  
_  
 **-?-:Why didn’t you take care of her,um?!  
**  
 _Deidara…!  
_  
 **-?-:Because…she took care of me…  
**  
 _Kisa…me…?!  
_  
 **Dei:What do you mean?  
Kisame:We were ambushed by the ANBU and the Mizukage himself.You know very well she isn’t as skilled in close range combat.She is a stealth specialist,while I’m the only one with sword and combat skills.  
Kakuzu:He is right.There is nobody to blame.No one could expect the Mizukage himself to attack.  
Kisame:I am sorry,Deidara.I did not mean for Nami to get hurt..  
Dei:*sighs* Yeah,I know,I know,sorry.I just hate seeing her like this.  
Kakuzu:She wasn’t hurt,she just overused her chakra.No big deal.Let her rest for now.  
Dei:Fine…**  
  
After hearing the door shut,I felt my hand being taken in someone else’s,and then a sigh.It was Kisame.  
  
 **Kisame:I doubt you can hear me,but I just want to apologize for not being strong enough,and for having to look after me,even while your life was being endangered.I have to become much….much stronger to be able to look after you…to protect you fro harm’s way.And that is just what I will do…everyday….every night…because…Nami…I…care for you.I…never would have imagined that…someone like me…a…monster…like me…could ever deserve such love and compassion from an angel like you.Never has it crossed my mind that I will have someone as perfect as you take care of me,an even risk her own life,for my worthless one.I believed,my whole life,to be a heartless killing machine,capable of no warm emotions.But after all,every Yin has its Yang…and I…Nami…I…love you.And I swear to protect you with everything I have,from now on.**  
  
And with that,he kissed my hand and left the room quietly.Oh,Kisame…if only I would have been more aware of your real feeling for me,I’d have told you before of my own feelings.

* * *

A week later,at night,I saw that Kisame hasn’t come to dinner.Or any meal today,for what matters.  
With a sigh,I excused myself and got the dish,going out to bring Kisame some food.He needs a lot of nutriments for his metabolism.He is a big guy,after all.  
He was outside,training in the rain.  
  
 **me:Bet you love this kind of weather.But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat the whole day.  
Kisame:I am quite busy,I apologize.I must-  
me:Train more.Yeah,I know.But I also know that you must eat as well,in order to get strong.  
Kisame:I am fine.Please,do not disturb my training.  
me:I am a medical nin,don’t go against my knowledge.  
Kisame:I did not mean to-  
me:Kisame.Listen to me.Stay down and eat.  
Kisame:*sighs*Thank you,Nami-san…**  
  
I smile as he sat down to eat,breathing heavily too,and finished in a matter of seconds.  
  
 **Kisame:Thank you for the meal.  
me:Don’t sweat it.  
Kisame:Now,if you do not mind,I will go back to-  
me:Kisame.  
Kisame:Yes?**  
  
His back was facing me,while he was staring absently into the cloudy grey sky.  
I went in front of him and stood on my tippy toes,trying to reach him.I put my hands on his face,cupping it,making him look me straight in the eyes.He tried to look tough and emotionless,but sorrow was clouding his eyes.  
 **  
me:Kisame.You worry me.  
Kisame:I am sorry,Nami-san.  
me:Please…Kisame…I…understand your sorrow.Being shunned for being and looking different.People fearing you.Your own village shunning you for doing what was best for the mission.Being…different in general.But…Kisame…I…heard what you said.Back then,when I was resting after the chakra overuse.**  
  
His eyes went wide with shock and a tint of purple on his cheekbones.Was he…blushing?  
  
 **me:Kisame…are you…blushing?  
**  
He turned around fast and jumped away.So that’s how you want to play,huh?Fine.Be that way.  
I conceal my chakra and shot off after him,until I see him and the same river where we met,standing on a rock,with his feet dangling in the water.  
I jump from the tree and land on the water,right in front of him.  
  
 **me:Don’t think you can win at Hide and Seek with me.  
**  
 _He looked down with a sad chuckle.  
_  
 **Kisame:You were not supposed to hear what I said that day.You are going to be afraid and start being cold.You will not notice the subtle hints anymore.You might distance yourself and stay with your friends more,leaving me alone again.You will fake your nice act,because you are a kind person,but it will be see-through.And…I could not bare to see that happening…You..Nami-san…are my weakness.  
me:That won’t ever happen.And want to know why?  
Kisame:…why?  
me:Because I love you,Kisame.  
Kisame:*shocked*Wh-what….?  
me:Love isn’t a weakness,Kisame.Love and compassion is what makes us stronger.The desire to protect the ones we love.The…power to move on and keep on going…that is…all thanks to love.And Kisame,you aren’t my weakness.You are my strength.I saved you that day,because I couldn’t ever imagine my life without you in it.Kisame…I love you.**  
  
And with that,I put my hands on his face and kiss him softly,then put my forehead on his,gazing into his eyes with a warm loving look.  
 **  
me:Don’t be afraid of your emotions,Kisame.You are capable of feeling positive emotions too.You are not a monster.You are like me.You’re a good person.Kind,compassionate,loyal,brave,strong…You just hide them,because that’s the standard of a shinobi.Cold.You do a great job,putting walls around you.But I’m a destroyer.Don’t forget that the weird bomber is my best friend.Ahem,regardless…**  
  
As I look away to smile,Kisame took the opportunity to hug me tightly,putting his chin on my head.  
  
 **Kisame:Thank you,Nami-chan.You are right.Thank you,for showing me that I am not the monster I always thought I was.**  
  
With that,we stayed in silence,hugging each other,letting the pouring rain fall,creating a wonderful musical harmony that soothed our senses.Kisame…I love you.

* * *

Despite telling him not to beat himself up for me saving him that day,he still hasn’t given up his extreme training.At least,this time,I’m always there to make sure he doesn’t mistreat himself as he used to.Getting weaker while striving for strength is quite ironic and disappointing,yet possible,if you manage to look over the bodily needs.Oh well.All was well so far.  
That is,until I was assigned on a solo mission.As for my skill level,it was merely espionage and assassination.A simple biodegradable needle filled with lethal poison that will insta-kill you should be enough to cover my tracks.And the poison in his body won’t even be detectable.Isn’t that just great?  
Captain Nami on duty!  
Just before I left,Kisame kissed my head an hugged me tightly,telling me to be careful.How sweet of him… _When he should be taking care of himself._

* * *

Armed and ready.The target was located.I concealed my chakra all good when I entered the Country of Fire.I really love this kind of environment… _so easy to hide…stealthy…sneaky…silent assassinations…so many trees and leaves…_  
 **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!  
** Just in case of needing a diversion.To confuse the target.But they can’t all look like me…I’ll make them look like the Akatsuki members,so the target will be intimidated.  
 ** _*swoosh*  
_** The needle finds its way in the neck of the target.He widens his eyes,then falls on the ground,looking dead.That’s gotta sting hehe…  
Just as I smirked and was preparing my poison set,so I could get home,I heard a maniac laugh coming from underneath me,and I saw him.The target that was supposed to be dead.  
He took the needle from his neck,then jumped to my level,and dropped it in my hand,as I watched him shocked.  
That particular poison was made with both my and Sasori’s forbidden village secrets.  
He was  **NOT**  supposed to be alive.But…how?  
  
 **guy:Nice trick,but we were prepared for an Akatsuki attack,and we got prepared for a Cheap Shot like this.We knew it was going to be you to come,so we made an army full of poison resistant highly-skilled shinobi to kill you.You also have a reaaaaally nice bounty on your head.To think though that the Akatsuki would let such a little,precious member of their organization go on such a difficult mission on her own.Or did they send you solo on purpose?Or perhaps…A suicide mission?**

I’m not one to talk much,but I kicked the guy in the face,and started jump-running on all 4s out of there as fast as I could.I wasn’t a kitsune for nothing,after all. ** _Swiftly now!_**  
The only problem with this kind of fleeing,is that I am fast,but it’s a blind race.Meaning that my eyes cannot pay attention to all their surroundings…and I might get ambushed easily.  
I hoped for the best,but the best wasn’t for me to receive,as I felt myself falling on the ground,after a punch in the face from an Otogakure bastard.Godamn,he sure can pack a punch.. _.My nose is bleeding…ouchie…_  
If only I could get away from here… ** _somehow_** …  
But I doubt that will happen,since there are way too many Otogakure bastards surrounding me right now.In one word…  
 ** _I’m totally screwed.  
_**  
They started chuckling,and one after another,started using their sound wave jutsus to mess with my senses.My balance was a mess and couldn’t stand up,the vibrations were ringing in my head,scrambling my brain…it hurts so much,I can’t even think.  
What can I do to get out of this…  
  
This torture is so bad,that tears welled up in my eyes,and I started burying myself in the crater that I formed upon falling,trying to act like a mole would,but with no avail.They kept dragging me by the scruff of my shirt,using the sound waves as a torture method,as they kept laughing at my weakness and vulnerability.I’d laugh at it too,if only I wasn’t so frustrated and burning with anger at my own self-pity and uselessness and worthlessness in the organization and the world itself.  
No wonder the Tsuchikage sent me away.No wonder Leader sent me on this kind of mission.  
  
I was useless and had to be disposed of faster than trash.  
My thoughts of  Self-deprecation continued as I was still being held down while squirming to get out of their grip and flee the scene,when I thought…  
I have a needle with fake poison in it.Combining it with my coma state like Kekkei Genkai,it will be easy to act dead…if they don’t know about it…and if they don’t continue to belittle my own corpse…

I started screaming louder,whilst managing to free my right hand from their grip,and I took out the fake poison needle from my belt and shoved it into my neck and activating my Kekkey Genkai at the same time.  
And with that,I was left hoping for the best outcome.

* * *

 _Light…  
Am I…dead?  
Did my plan not work?  
The afterlife actually exists?  
What about Kisame and the others?Are they okay?  
Do they know that I died?  
Will they be okay?_  
  
Those were the countless questions I was asking myself,until an annoyed voice could be heard behind me.The author of this voice was…well…actually me myself.  
  
 **Well obviously they will be okay without you!They can easily find someone so much better than you!**  
 _Yeah…I know…No need to remind me,stupid self.  
_ **You were asking a shit ton of useless rethorical questions.This is not a book,so the reader won’t be able to answer to in their mind.It’s your own consciousness.Use it for once,dammit.  
** _You are way too much of a bitch to want to be this hopeless as to actually talk to you._  
 **Then what about your lovy dovy sharky boy?Don’t you miss him?  
** _What about Kisame?It’s doubtless that I miss him and want to check up on him.Why ask?_  
 **Why don’t you check for yourself then?  
** _I can do that?  
_ **Yes,you idiot!Jeez,I never knew my own self was so dumb…  
** _Shut up!I didn’t know you could look after someone while being dead!  
_ **Well…maybe you see…because…YOU ARE NOT DEAD?!  
** _I’m…not?!But…how?!I-I thought…  
_ ***facepalms*Just…wake up…and get the hell out of here.I dealt with your idiocy enough…**  
 _Screw you…_

And with that,I managed to slowly flutter my eyes open,trying to get a better idea of my living position at that moment.  
I was in a familiar blue room that seemed to strike a certain nostalgia in my brain.Why?Because this was Kisame’s room.  
But why am I in his room?  
 _How did I get to the HQ?_  
  
 _Suddenly,the room opened,and many concerned voices could be heard.  
_  
 **Dei:You sent her ALONE on a mission to kill Orochimaru?!Are you mad,yeah?!  
Pein:We were not aware of that detail of the mission.  
Dei:Detail?!DETAIL?!It cost Nami her life!  
Sasori:Shut up,brat.That isn’t true.She’s alive.  
Dei:What do you mean,Danna?  
Sasori:Kisame found her with her own poisoned needle in her neck,but while researching that certain poison,I realized that it was not,in fact,poison.Just…grape juice…  
Konan:Why would she do that,then?If she wasn’t poisoned,then why was she in that that catatonic state?  
Itachi:Kekkei…Genkai….  
Kisame:Itachi-san?You know of her clan’s Kekkei Genkai?  
Itachi:*nods*It allows her to enter in a coma state,shutting of any vital system while at it.She cannot die from it,obviously.  
Dei:How do you know that,um?  
Itachi:I do my research.  
Tobi:Tobi thinks Nami-chan was lucky that Kisame-san found her and saved her.Poor Nami-chan!!!*whines***  
 **Dei:Shut up,Tobi!Those bastards messed with her hearing sense enough!You don’t have to add up to it,yeah!**  
 **Kakuzu:It would seem that you are just as noisy.**  
 **Leader:I know I am at fault for this mission incident,but we are going to track down the requester and hunt him down.**  
 **Dei:This calls for revenge!Yeah!**  
 **Sasori:Shut up,brat.Let’s get out of here.She needs rest,not noise.**  
 **Konan:Sasori is right.Although,I believe that Kisame should remain in here.  
**  
They all nodded in agreement and slowly made their way out of the room,and I heard a loud,aggravated sighs.It was Kisame.  
  
 **Kisa:An once again,I fail to protect you.How could I let something like this happen?!What if you died?Or lost your hearing completely?Or were captured?Or…or…Saint Same-Sama,I do not want to ever imagine those possible apocalyptic scenarios…  
me:Kisa…You’re such a drama queen…with that…sophisticated….vocabulary…  
Kisa:Nami…!You are awake…  
me:*smirks*Bad time to be awake?I could pretend to be asleep,while you continue your lovely monologue.  
Kisa:D-don’t do that again…  
me:It was really sweet though…But you are right…I’m really surprised I don’t actually have any kind of injury or long-term trauma from that…incident…  
Kisa:*sighs*I should have come after you as soon as you left…I knew something was wrong…I could somehow…feel it…the…the terrible malicious evil vibe that I felt while you were away….My heart felt like it were held too tightly…almost squashed…I knew something bad was going to happen to you…and yet…  
me:You saved me,Kisa-kun.  
Kisa:E-eh..?  
me:Tell me,how did I get here?**  
 **Kisa:I…went after you…Itachi-san conviced me to follow what my heart was screaming for and go in search of you…He thought the mission seemed quite fishy and wanted to make sure you were safe…  
me:*chuckle*Nice pun there…  
Kisa:Nami!Please do not laugh at a time like this!I was worried sick and guilty beyond measure!  
me:I’m sorry,Kisa.But I do appreciate you saving me from those bastards.I do appreciate everything you’ve one for me thus far,and even more.I love how you are so sweet and kind when it comes to me…How you truly show that you love me with all your heart…looking after me when nobody else did…  
Kisa:That is the sole purpose of my existence,Nami.To know that you are safe,with me.  
me:Oh,Kisa-kun….If you continue this lachrymatory speach,I swear I might shed more tears.  
Kisa:No no no no no!Please do not let your soft cheeks be hosts to the rivers of tears…not anymore…not while I am around.  
me:You have no idea how much I love you,my dear Shakespearian poet.Thank you for saving me,Kisame.Both from those ninjas,and from the darkness within.  
Kisa:Do not ever thank me for protecting you,for that is…ahem…*fain blush*what a boyfriend does.**  
  
My eyes widened in shock at his words as I stared at him with sparkly eyes.He never said  ** _‘boyfriend’_** or  ** _'girlfriend’_**  before.This was a huge step.  
  
 **me:M-my boyfriend…Kisame…You are my boyfriend…YOU ARE SO SWEET,GODAMN IT!  
Kisa:*scratches his hair**looks away*Ehe…is that so…  
me:Yes.It is quite so.  
Kisa:Well,I doubt the taste of fish is any sweet,actually.Either that,or your taste buds have been messed up with.  
me:Why don’t you let me decide that?  
Kisa:H-huh?How?  
me:Like this–**  
  
In a blink of an eye,I was in front of him,standing on his feet,kissing him softly while my hands were in his hair.I could feel his smile,while deepening the kiss,as his hands snaked around my waste,putting me closer to him,supporting me.Standing like this,chest to chest,forehead to forehead,looking at each others eyes or sharing a passional kiss filled with love and sparks,is what I was thoroughly thrilled to have in my life.My life that I am going to spend with Kisame.  
  
All of a sudden though I coul feel something hard poking my abdomen and I muttered his name while biting my lip,then looking down,my eyes were wide in shock,and I jumped back on the bed in surprise at what I saw.

* * *

Samehada broke out of its bandage-prison and made its way between me and Kisame,looking all spiky and scary.I was being intimidated by the scaley sword that was 'threatening’ me,as Kisame’s body shook with mirth,looking at my blushing-frightened expression.  
  
 **Kisame:Seems like someone is quite jealous of our lovely relationship.Do not worry,Samehada.I will not neglect you.But I do have a lover now.  
** _  
The sword slowly made its scales smoothen while looking…depressed and deflated,and went back in the closet._  
  
 **me:Wh-what…did just…w-why…b-but…u-uh…  
Kisame:*chuckle*I must admit,I have not laughed like this in quite a while.Seeing Samehada jealous like that…  
me:That was indeed weird…  
Kisame:Why did you get so scared like that though?  
me:It was a real jumpscare,Kisame!Don’t laugh!  
Kisame:*grin*It was just my sword!  
me:I wasn’t paying attention and it kept poking my abdomen!It was freaky!  
Kisame:What did you think it was,Nami?  
me:U-uh…I…w-well…ermh…d-dunno!Kisame,don’t ask such silly qustions!**  
  
He chuckle darkly while smirking with a glint in his eye that I never got the chance to experience before.Just as I thought that,I found myself pinned on the bed,with a smug-faced smirking Kisame dangerously close to my burning red face.  
  
 **me:K-K-KISAME!WH-WHAT DO Y-YOU THINK YOU’RE D-DOING?!  
Kisame:*puts his finger to my lips*Do not make such a ruckus,or the others might storm back.  
me:B-b-b-ut….K-kisa…me…  
Kisame:*whispers*What did you think it was,Nami-chan~?  
me:…N-nothing…  
Kisame:Such innocence…I might actually feel bad for tainting it…  
me:Wh-what d-do y-you mean…?  
Kisame:Shh…Just enjoy this night…like it is our last…  
me:Kisa…me…I love you…  
Kisame:I love you,Nami-chan.**As he said that,my face burnt even worse as I was squirming in his embrace,embarrassed to the point of fainting.Although…I must say…seeing both sides of Kisame…Is surely intriguing.I have a lot to discover about him and a lot to look forward to,from this lucky shark.


	4. How You Met - Akatsuki

##  **_Hoshigaki Kisame_ **

  
You and your puppy went to the lake to enjoy your day off, eat some nice food your mum made for you and have a small swim in the chilly water.  
As you prepared your blanket and food basket on the grass, the puppy ran past you, yipping happily and jumping straight into the deep part of the lake.  
Now, you did know how to swim, but you were better at floating in shallow water and not the most confident swimmer either, so clearly, you were rather worried that she might drown or something.  
Unfortunately, she suddenly sunk under water with a yelp, and you started panicking, looking left and right, asking for help, but nobody seemed to be around when needed.  
  
Freaking out, you took off your flip flops and ran into the water, but you suddenly stopped in in fear, as you saw a menacing shark fin circling around your sweet baby.

 **“NO! DON’T HURT HER! P/N, COME HERE, BABY! FAST!”  
  
** You were shaking and crying in fear, thinking of the brutal way your baby is going to die, when, instead of the threatening predator, out of the water, came a very tall and well-built shark-like man, holding your puppy in his grasp, protectively, walking in your direction, as she kept licking him, gratefully.

You were now crying of happiness, beaming in glee at the sight in front of him. All senses lost you, emotions overpowering you, and the only rational thing that you could do was to hug the life out of this blue stranger, and he only chuckled and ruffled your hair.

 **“I honestly c-can’t thank you enough f-for saving her. I don’t know wh-what I would without her."** you said stuttering from emotion.  
 **"No need to thank me. I am just happy to help save the life of such a lovely creature.”**  he said, grinning.  
 **“Yeah, I totally get you. I’m like that too, since it’s why I decided to become a vet since very little. This baby was left abandoned in my clinic after her owners decided that a surgery would be too much time and money wasted.”**  you said, taking her in your embrace and rubbing your head to hers, lovingly.  
 **“I hate people like that. Animals are much better than humans, and on that note, lack any evil intent.”**  he said, sighing.  
 **“I’m happy to hear that someone else agrees with me, after all this time. People always thought I was crazy for thinking that way.”**  you laughed, seeing his grin widen.  
 **“Likewise, I have to say. Will you be around tomorrow too?”**  he asked, scratching her behind her ear.  
 **“I’m not sure. I had this day off from my clinic, but I live in the village nearby, if you want to see me or p/n. I’m uh…Actually the only viable medic in these neighbour villages.”**  you scratched the back of your neck, grinning sheepishly.  
 **“If you wouldn’t mind a weird, blue shark guy walking around and scaring your patients-”**  
 **“Nah, only the humans. The animals will surely love you. I have no doubt about that! Hope I’ll see you around!”**  you cut him off, in glee.  
 **“I’ll see you around, then. Take care and see you later, squiddo.”** he gave a side-grin and a military salute, as he left the place, leaving you and your lovely puppy enjoy the rest of your day off.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Uchiha Itachi_ **

 

You were a regular visitor at the vintage bookshop cafe in town, since you absolutely loved to relax on a plush armchair on the ground, with your favourite book and the hot beverage of your choice to soothe your nerves after a long day at work.  
  
You were friends with all the employees there, knew all the regular faces and occasionally helped out with what you could. Your favourite was putting back books and arranging them by certain criteria, breathing in the mersmerising scent of coffee and tea.  
  
One lovely day, as you were reading  ** _“Da Vinci’s Code”_** in your usual silent corner, you noticed a brunet man entering the video silently, and yet, he captured everyone’s eyes with his mysterious, intriguing aura, as he walked to the belletristic section, seemingly looking for a certain book.

After reading one more chapter, you look up again and see him in the same place, still searching, so you put the vintage bookmark at the page you were at, gently put it on the table next to your tea and made your way to him, tapping him on his shoulder, smiling softly.

 **“Hello. I’m sorry to disturb, but you seemed to need help looking for a book. Correct me if I’m wrong, however, and I can leave.”**  you said, trying to look at his gorgeous onyx eyes.  
 **“Thank you for your help, miss. I was looking for _‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’._  I’d be grateful if you could help me find it.”** he replied, with a ghost of a smile.  
 **“Ah…Well, I believe I took the last copy of it, last week, I apologise. I can borrow it to you if you want. I’m almost always around here anyways.”**  you said, recalling the amazing book you recently finished.  
 **“Are you not an employee here?”**  his eyebrow raised in confusion.  
 **“Nah, I just come around to relax and enjoy my time. I do tend to help around if I can, since they cant handle all the work, you know?”**  you replied, looking around in pride and content.  
 **“That sounds wonderful. Mind if I come around tomorrow to pick it up? I will return it as soon as I finish it.”** he said, looking grateful.  
 **“Sounds like a plan. Whenever you have time, I’ll be here. That, over there, is my usual reading corner, but if you don’t see me, just ask around for Y/N, okay?”** you grinned, extending your hand for him to shake.  
 **“Uchiha Itachi. It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for your help, I have to leave now. Have a lovely day.”**  shaking your hand, he made his way out of the bookstore, waving his goodbye at you.  
 **“It was nice meeting you too, Itachi.”** with a side-smile on your face, you turned back to your corner, very smug at the looks the others were giving you.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Deidara  
  
_ **

  
Your village was very well known for its fabulous festivals- so great that people, both ninjas and commoners, would get out of their way to attend them as often as possible, since they provided delightful food from all over the world, great games, and the best part that always comes at night- 

##  **_Fireworks!_ **

And that is where you came from-

 

 

Since you were very little, you absolutely

**LOVED**

fireworks- the colours, the patterns, the noise, the smell, everything about them just made you incredibly giddy and overwhelmed with happiness, so, with time, you started creating your own fireworks, infused with elemental chakra and other tricky, secret stuff to make them even better than the common ones, which made the villagers happy to allow you to do every Firework Show, each night.

This night, however, the festival was in the same day as your birthday, which had you excited - tenfold the usual dose, if possible - and going up the hill, in your gorgeous traditional kimono that your mother gifted you, and needless you say, you put your best performance so far, incredibly satisfied at your work and the gorgeous display on the dark, starry sky.

 **“That was a great firework show, huh? Much more intriguing and fascinating than all the others I’ve seen so far. You did this, hn?”**  a deep voice said behind you, making you yelp in surprise and look back at the blond individual, with big, scared, fawn eyes. **“Sorry if I scared you, yeah.”**  he continued. **“Just wanted to praise the artist and learn some tips from them.”** he grinned, confidently.  
 **“O-Oh! I’m really happy that you liked it! I did my best with this one! It’s uh…A special occasion, might I say!”** he smiled softly, trying to tone down your excitement.  
 **“Lemme guess, it’s your birthday, hn? Special outfit for a special day, yeah.”** he said as he took out some clay his bag.  
 **“It is! Good guess, mate! What’s this clay for?”**  you inquired, curiosity completely taking over you.  
 **“This! Is my art! Watch and learn, missy!”**  he gloated, as the mouths on his hands started shaping clay into a bird, showing it off.  
 **“Uhh~! So pretty! You’re really talented!”**  you chirped, examining the birdy.  
 **“You think this is pretty? Look at this, yeah!”**  with that, he infused the clay figurine with his chakra and threw it high into the sky, then activated it by yelling  ** _“KATSU!”_** , making it create a huge, fascinating explosion, leaving you awestruck, jumping up and down, clapping.  
 **“Art truly is an explosion, right?”**  you said, looking at him in admiration.  
 **“I couldn’t have said it any better, missy. Glad to see there are other true art enthusiasts around, unlike my dull partner, hn! Well, gotta go now, missy!”**  he said, as he gave you another clay figurine.  
 **“Hope I’ll see you again. After all, artists stick together, right?”** you said, with a knowing smile plastered on your face.  
 **“You know it, missy! See ya around, yeah!”** he waved, as he jumped on the back of a huge clay bird and flew away, leaving you look down at the little gift in your hands, smiling and blushing slightly.  
  
 _This sure was one hell of a birthday!_

* * *

 

##  **_Akasuna no Sasori_ **

  
Since you were  little, you’ve always been interested in herbal medicine and poisons, so much that you’d only research plants, both from your home and from abroad, which made you become a well-known merchant, which allowed you to travel all-over the world, practise and invent all sorts of antidotes and poisons.

You were very passionate about your hobby, and by now, you had several books in which you wrote every plant you’ve encountered, wrote its properties and where you saw it, and many other books for different potions, how you could make them, their effects and so on.

Obviously, you already knew everything by heart, but it was always nice to have it written down and drawn on paper, especially since drawing was also a passion of yours and it was the only way you could practise it.

You carried precious but dangerous information with you at all times, so it was little surprise when one day, when you finally found the perfect spot for new plants to document and draw, you got ambushed by a bunch of no-so-friendly looking ninjas who wanted to hurt you and take your precious notes from you, which angered you so.  
  
As soon as you found a run-down small shack, you hid in it and prepared one of your most powerful poisons so you could kill them all.  
The best part of this? You were completely immune to all poisons and venoms so no matter what the outcome would be, you wouldn’t be injured at all.  
As soon as they entered the house, you raised your mask up to your nose and stealthily closed the door and with a simple jutsu and a very toxic and complex poison, you breathed out a deadly mist that engulfed the whole place, making the scums die in agony as you swiftly made your escape out of there, enjoying their screams of pain.  
  
The only problem was that as soon as you got out of there, you stretched your limbs and as you were about to take off your mask, you notice a red-haired man about your height with seemingly no emotions on his face, staring at you. Despite his stoic face, a glint of smugness was evident in his eyes.  
  


 **“I heard you were good, but that was much better than expected. I can see why Leader wanted to recruit you.”** he said in a monotone voice.  
 **“I wasn’t aware I was so famous…”** you said quietly.  
 **“The day the Black Mamba won’t be famous, I wouldn’t be-”  
“Akasuna no Sasori.” **you chirped, cutting him.  **“Sorry, that was rude of me. Forgive me.”**  
 **“So you’re aware of my title. Good. You’ll be coming to the base without any struggle, then.”**  he smirked at you with a slight patronising stare.  
 **“As long as I can continue my passions, I don’t see any reason not to. Uh…Maybe the fact that you’re criminals could be a strong point…But it would be much safer with than without you.”**  you tried to speak coherently, trying not to make a fool of yourself in front of the person that became an inspiration when you were young. **“Before that, uhm…Would you mind if I went home and get my things? I have a lot of important thi-”** you started, but were quickly cut off by a dismissive hand.  
 **“I’m not a patient person. Go home, I’ll be back to escort you to our base. Be ware, however, that I am not a patient person and my patience runs thin incredibly fast. Don’t push your limits.”** he said, sternly.  
 **“I-I…Will keep that in mind. Thank you for giving me a chance.”** you said, low-key spazzic and wanting to get away from his intimidating stare.  
 **“Do not disappoint.”**  he stated, before he left without a second word.

Well…That will proved to be a great opportunity for you to grow even further and become and even more qualified poison expert.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Pein_ **

  
You were an amazing ninja, but after a horrible incident which got both your family and your team, consisted of your two best friends, killed, your village blamed and shunned you, making you be forced to go rogue and live the life of a criminal.  
  
You were scared and angry at the injustice that has fallen upon you, but there was nothing you could do, apart from living on your life the best you could.  
After that incident and your shunning, you became a target high in the Bingo Book’s Top 10 Wanted Criminals, with a huge bounty on your head, due to your incredible stealth, tracking and mind-controlling skills, which is why, unknown to you, the Akatsuki were trying to recruit you.

Countless months passed since the incident, you managed to find a small but cozy place to live in and you got pretty comfortable with a common life, pretending to be a normal villager.  
  
You become the one to provide the small village with flowers and other city technology, so you were used to people knocking on your door, asking for commissions and other stuff to order and bring to the village store, so when a knock could be heard at your door, at first, you weren’t surprised.  
  
However, that changed when, after so many years, you picked up the sense of an incredibly powerful chakra, which made you uneasy, to say the least, but if that person particularly went out of their way to find you, they were sure to know you were there, so acting anything but peaceful would not be in your favour.

Shivers ran over your body, anxious beyond belief as you quietly unlocked the door and opened it, hiding behind the door, gripping it, only peaking slightly at the stranger standing in front of me.  
He had short, messy orange hair, multiple piercings, the famous Rinnegan and the feared Akatsuki cloak.  
  
Biting your lip, you tried to calm your breathing and hold a decent conversation without showing your worry, since his stern glaze root you to the ground.   
By the way he was standing, fully composed and an air of authority around him, being here by himself, unlike the others, who seemed to always do missions with another partner.

 **“H-Hello. How may I help you?”** you mustered, unsure of what to do.  
 **“You are Y/N L/N, am I correct?”**  he said in a low, monotone voice.  
 **“Y-Yes, who asks?”**  you clearly weren’t surprised this strange knew your name, since you were a known criminal around the big villages.  
 **“My name is Pein and I am the Leader of the Akatsuki. I came here to recruit you, being one of those few people with more than average skills.”** he stated, not budging.  
 **“That’s…Not so bad, actually. Thanks for considering me, I guess.”**  you said, unsure of yourself, still biting your life.  
 **“I will be coming for you next week and I am expecting a definite answer by then.”**  he said, nodding.  
 **“There’s only one answer which would ensure I’ll stay alive, anyways, so uh…You know the answer.”** you looked away, trying to escape his hypnotising stare.  
 **“Very well. Be prepared to leave next week. Also…I suggest breaking your justu. It is not going to work on me. Good day.”** as with that, he left you there, dumbstruck to the spot, still processing your encounter with the strongest criminal you’ve ever seen.

_It was fun and you were looking forward to this new adventure._

* * *

 

##  **_Konan_ **

 

All your life, you’ve been dealing with a lot of negativity from everyone around you, since you were the only ninja in the village and you were damned good at your job and with that, you gathered a lot of money and hate from others.

This, however, motivated you to become a better person and spread positivity in any way you could and that included telling people they are pretty, wishing them a great, sunny day and/or giving them flowers. It was, in your opinion, a very sweet way of making they day better and seeing them smile brightened up your own day as well.  
On the other hand, you only wished someone would one day do the same to you too.

And so, one day, you went to the market, saw some beautiful flowers, took three of them and left to walk around the city and settled for the nearby cafe.  
Unfortunately, it was all full, apart from one empty chair at a table for two where a gorgeous girl with blue hair was sipping tea and reading a book, which upon further inspection proved to be Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  
Grinning, yet still feeling shy, you went besides her table, trying to fake confidence.

 **“Hi! Would it be okay if I stay here? Everywhere else is full.”** you smiled kindly.  
 **“I don’t mind.”**  she said, barely stealing a glance at you, but gesturing for you to take a seat.

After taking a cup of hot chocolate, you took out your book from your bag, but something was urging you to talk to the girl, so that’s what you tried.

 **“So, Mary Shelley, huh? I love her work too. She’s a genius.”** you said, unsure.  
 **“She’s amazing. This must be one of my favourite books and the perspective of ethics is very intriguing.”**  she stated with the ghost of a smile on her face, finally looking at you.

Grinning at her, you continued talking to her about the morals and ethics of the book, the author and many other books with similar topics, until you both finished your drinks and you realised you had to go home.  
As a way to say goodbye, you paid the bill for the both of you, then smiled at her and handed her one of the flowers.

 **“It was lovely meeting you and I’m very happy that I got to meet someone as beautiful as you who also shares my tastes in books. You brightened up my whole year with this encounter and I only hope I could make you smile. I hope to see you again, if you wouldn’t mind.”** you said with a grin on your face, gripping on your book, swinging back and forth on your spot, shyly.  
 **“I would love to. It was an honour meeting you.”** she smiled and you could swear the whole room lit up.  
 **“I’m Y/N. It was a pleasure meeting you too…?”**  you stated, hoping for her to tell you her name.  
 **“Konan. Thank you for paying for my tea as well.”** she said, extending her hand for you to shake.  
 **“Special people deserve special treatment. Will I be seeing you again soon?”** you asked, hopeful.  
 **“You will. Farewell, Y/N. Have a bright day.”**  she smiled at you, nodding and leaving the place.

It took you everything you had not to jump-hug her or kiss her cheek in happiness, but you managed to restrain yourself and only grinned at your success and went home, extremely proud of yourself.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Kakuzu_ **

  
You were a retired ANBU ninja who decided that she’s enough death in her life in a short amount of time, so you decided to take up healing and other relaxing activities, like tending to your new flower garden, crocheting and taking care of your kitten.  
  
It was all going great, so far, finally managing to get over your trauma and learning again how to relax and be happy.  
As you were tending to your little piece of heaven, you suddenly got startled by the sound of a tree breaking and a thud. You sighed, got up and went to investigate the annoying sound, which proved to be an unconscious, weird-looking, injured man.   
  
You checked to see if he had a pulse, which admittedly, he had, but at the same time, as you took off his mask, you immediately recognised him as one of the most mysterious and dangerous Akatsuki member, high-listed in the Bingo Book you constantly kept in your position. What was more, apart from his name and village, nobody knew anything about him, which made him all the more dangerous, since clearly, every person he encountered and fought never lived to tell the tale of his true powers…Or at least his chakra nature.  
  
Not that it mattered, anyways. You were no longer a ninja and nor were you intending to go back to that stressful life, but as soon as you finished your medical training, you swore an oath never to let any person die, if you can help  _ ~~(which, on the other hand, never states that I couldn’t possibly maim them at least, thankfully.)~~_

His injuries were incredibly bad and if he wasn’t as weirdly, inhumanely powerful as he was, he wouldn’t have survived another breathe - which now he could take with ease.  
Sighing after hours of healing, I stretch your arms, satisfied with your work, when suddenly, a hand grasped your neck and you see Kakuzu raised to a sitting position, his glare being ominously highlighted by his long hair, draping over his face.

 **“Rude…!”**  you gasped, trying to breathe, as you put your hands on his wrist, trying to make him stop strangling you. **“I healed you!”**  
 **“Not a wise decision.** ” and although he said that, the grip on your neck became slowly softer until it completely released you.   
 **“Sheesh…Kinky. At least get me a cup of sugary coffee or something.”** you mumbled, rubbing your neck, looking away.  
 **“Why would you heal a criminal?”**   he said, completely ignoring your previous reply.  
 **“Criminal or not, it is my duty as a healer to save people, evil or not. Can’t do much about it, huh?"** you stated, as a matter of fact.  
 **"You have a Bingo Book next to you and yet, you don’t seem afraid. Why?”** he asked, peering into your eyes.  
 **“The risk I took was calculated…But boy, am I bad at maths.”** you chuckled, trying to ease the tension.  
 **“Are you aware of the incredibly huge bounty on your head?”**  it was more like a statement than a question, as he handed you his own Bingo Book to look at.  
  
What came as a huge surprise, as you flipped through the pages you also had in your own book, was a page dedicated to yourself- Your name, your village, your chakra nature, your skills and an unimaginable sum under your picture.  
You whistled in shock at the page you were staring at, then you slowly and lifted your eyes, making eye-contact with the famous Bounty Hunter, as a chilled shiver took over your body

 **“So…You’re going to kill me and hand me in for the money, huh?”**  you asked, unsure of his intentions.  
 **“Money runs the world and ethics nor morality do anyone a favour. It would be ridiculous not to do so.”** he stated, without any remorse.  
You gave a scared laugh, thinking about your last moments, but they never came.  
Kakuzu, instead of killing you, stood up, towering over your small frame  **“Fortunately for you, I still have an ounce of morality left. Enough so that I won’t kill the healer who did me a favour, despite knowing who I was.”** and he left without another word, leaving you blinking in surprise.  
  
For some reason, this encounter left you with a giddy heart and not only from fear, but from a bit of admiration too.

* * *

 

##  **_Hidan_ **

 

You weren’t an actual ninja, being from a smaller village with very few actually training by going to other big village’s Academies, but you and your mum learnt how to be very the best healers around, which was why the place you lived at became a small clinic for every kind of people to get treated, either for free, or make donations.

Today was significantly more boring than usual, no conflicts, fights or small 'wars’ happening, so you decided to let your mother run the place while watching a movie on your laptop, as you went out to stretch your legs, enjoy some fresh air in the nearby forest, stand by the stream and take in the godly perfume of the flowers.

The birds’ symphony that had you lose yourself on Cloud 9 was, however, abruptly stopped when out of nowhere, a screaming head was catapulted in your direction, at a rather fast speed.  
Your eye twitched at the disturbance and you merely cocked your own head to the left, in order to avoid the annoying thing projecting your way. Happy enough, it slammed into the tree close to you, which made it stop yelling…For a short while.

 **“Can you shut up already? Some people are trying to enjoy the peace and quite this place offers.”** you told the annoying talking-head next to you.

This head, apparently, had silver hair, slicked back , slightly messy from the throw, and amethyst eyes.

 **“The hell is your problem, bitch?! Can’t you have any bit of sympathy for a decapitated man?!”** he glared at you.  
 **“Can you blame me? I just wanted to have one free day to relax and instead I…You know what? This is actually hilarious. How did you end up like this?”**  you smirked at him, resting your jaw on your hand.  
 **“What does it matter?! Just stitch me back to my body and leave me alone!”** he said, trying to roll on the ground.  
 **“And where is your body, anyways? I couldn’t possibly dream of some magical way to detect your body in the middle of nowhere, right?”**  you chuckled at him, then grabbed him by the hair, making him look at you directly.  
 **“You’re even more annoying than that asshole, Kakuzu! Argh, just wait till I see him! That way! Go, now!”** he said, trying to spin to show you the direction.  
 **“Kakuzu? Is he your boyfriend, or what? Domestic fight?”**  you snickered, getting up and walking in the direction he was instructing.   
 **“Boyfriend?! What the hell is wrong with you, bitch?! That jerk is absolutely horrible and has no regard for my religion! Besides, who cares about relationships?! All I need is Jashin-sama’s blessings and I’m good.”**  he thundered, clearly offended by the idea of him being in a relationship.  
 **“I suppose that’s why you’re immortal, huh? No normal person could get decapitated in a revenge-porn acti-”**  
 **“DON’T EVEN DARE CONTINUE THAT SENTENCE! Or, I swear, the first thing I do when I get back to my body is to make you into a sacrifice!”**  by this time, the foam forming in his mouth almost drooling down his chin in anger.  
 **“You forgot the key-point of this. I could just as simply toss you farther away, just like your partner, much smarter than you, did.”** you winked at him.  
 **“Here! There it is!”** he yelled in slight smugness.  
 **“Ah…Poor you…You look like a fish on the land, struggling to breathe.”**  you replied in fake sympathy, as you sat down besides his body, getting the emergency scroll from your purse and taking out your sewing kit to help the poor idiot become whole again.  
  
As soon as you finished the procedure, during which he kept continuously whining and chatting about weird stuff, he got up and rubbed his neck, stretched, clearly relieved to be back.  
  
 **“You know what? I think you did a much better job than that asshole! Thanks, bitch!”**  he said, beaming.  
 **“My name is Y/N and I’d like you to call me by my name, not some stupid nickname your boyfriend calls you.”** you glared at him.  
 **“You know wha-”** he tried to continue the sentence, but he was cut off by a loud, angry, booming voice echoing through the forest.

##                           ** _“HIDAN!!!”_**

**“Is…This your boyfriend?”**

you cocked your head in confusion and amusement at their antics.

 

You waved at Hidan as he was violently dragged away by his partner.

 

_  
Ah, what a happy couple~!_


	5. How You Met - Ninjas

##  **_Nara Shikamaru_ **

****

Since very young, you were a brilliant ninja, so it came to no surprise when Konohagakure's Intel Division decided to recruit you right after finishing Academy so they could personally train you.  
Many years passed since you finished Academy and you were mainly occupied with the Analysis Team, helping get into people’s minds, psychologically torture them, break them until they confess whatever information you needed, but on other occasions, you’d help the Torture & Interrogation Team, seeing that you could prove to be rather… _Persuasive._

Obviously, you weren’t able to spend much time with your classmates or have a particular team to completely bond with, but you loved every bit of it, and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

You first met Shikamaru when you were both very young, doing your Academy years together.  
You never really talked, during these years, only maybe during team activities when you were paired up together, you being rather reserved and him being too lazy to talk.  
Nonetheless, his genius manifested since young ages and you were happy to be paired with him, a person who wasn’t judgmental, than with anyone else.

The only time you really interacted was when you had to take a test and he fell asleep during it. You were finished early anyways, so you slowly took away the paper from under his arms, finished it in a completely different, more messy handwriting.  
When Iruka-sensei woke him up, he was prepared to scold him for not completing his test, until, to both their shock, the test was impeccably done.  
Thankfully, the teacher didn’t suspect a thing, but Shikamaru looked at you with a tired smiled and as a sign of gratitude, offered to share his lunch with you in the garden the next day, which you accepted eagerly, happy to finally have a friend.

 **“Hi, I’m Shikamaru. Thanks for that. I really didn’t wanna get in trouble with my troublesome mum again…”**  he mumbled, resting his jaw on his palm, sleepiness still evident on his face.  
 **“You looked like you needed the help. I’m Y/N and…Any time?”** you said, smirking.  
 **“Hmmm…Y'know? Mum makes great lunches, when I remember to pick them up. I’ll share mine with you with you want, tomorrow, as a way to say thanks. Deal?”**  he asked.  
 **“Sounds like a plan! You got a deal!”**  you chirped, shaking his hand as a way to seal this new friendship.  
  
From then on, he introduced you to his friends, Choji, Kiba and Naruto, and you would sometimes hang out with them, even planning their elaborate pranks, loving to see the outcome  _ ~~( even if they always got caught )~~_

After the Academy finished, however, you didn’t get the chance to meet again, seeing that he was busy with his Team and you were constantly with the Intel division, training.  
That is, until Lady Tsunade became the new Hokage and on more difficult finesse S-level missions that required information gathering and precaution, she would put the both of you in charge of the team.  
  
 _Needless to say, you recognised each other immediately and had a lot to catch up.  
_

* * *

##  **_Hatake Kakashi_ **

****

You first met Kakashi after you successfully finished the Chunin exam, at the age of 6, and the Hokage requested Kakashi to take you in and train you personally, since he was the only one of the Jonin who knew what it was like to be at that level- A true prodigy.

In a way, he was amazed and proud of you, being so talented and hardworking from such a frail age, but on the other hand, he wasn’t completely happy about you not being in a normal, 3 ninja team since that meant virtually no real team-work and he was afraid you’d end up the way he did when he was your age-  
Scared of breaking the rules, in case of disappointing and failing.  
Consequently, he could see the rigorous and stressed way you were training, which screamed  _‘insecurity’_ and  _'fear of failure’,_  which was mainly caused by your extremely strict and demanding parents, since you were from a noble clan of ninjas, so he took it as his personal task to make sure you learn how to enjoy life and relax, since life didn’t only mean work and no happiness.

That meant, of course, that he’d treat you to Ichiraku and bring you ice-cream every once in a while, or go with you on travelling missions, making sure you are alright and not cracking under pressure.

The only weird thing was the book he kept reading all the time, as if both his lives depended on it-  
 **Icha Icha Paradise.**  
You didn’t think much of it, and in about a year or less, you picked up his hobby of reading- clearly not that series- but books much more interesting like  **Harry Potter**  or  **The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes** , which in a way, Kakashi was happy about.

One day, however, his best friend, Gai, obnoxiously decided to join in one of their training sessions- and by training session, I meant you, in the middle of the field, reading a book, standing still, while Kakashi under a tree…Reading as well.  
You picked up the trace of a fast-moving chakra, so as soon as the loud man jumped to kick you, you simply stepped forward, not missing the line you were at, making him fly-kick Kakashi and destroy the tree he was under.

 **“Gai, what in the world are you doing here?!”**  Kakashi said, exasperated.  
 **“Ahhh I just wanted to see how your little apprentice was doing! No harm done!”**  he laughed, getting up and helping his friend too.  
 **“Well, clearly, she’s already much smarter than you are.”**  he chuckled, proud.  
 **“Can you keep it quiet, please? I’m getting at the best part of this chapter.”**  you demanded, a bit irked by the sudden disturbance.  
 **“You completely corrupted her already! Jeez, Kakashi, calm down!”** relatively shockingly, Gai started crying waterfalls.  
 **“Hey, at least she’s amazing at multi-tasking!”**  he smirked under his mask.  
 ** _“SHUSH!”_**  you finally snapped, moving your gaze in their direction, glaring at them.

Needless to say, you were actually enjoying your time with them, but were no way in hell going to admit it 

* * *

 

  
  


##  **_Sabaku no Gaara_ **

**_  
  
_ **

You met Gaara soon after he became Kazekage, when the Hokage sent you to Suna to deliver a secret scroll.  
It was a rather easy and uneventful mission for you, seeing that you’ve always been known for your sneakiness and speed, so this proved to be piece of cake.

You didn’t actually talk much when you handed him the scroll and awaited further instructions. That changed, however, that midnight when you went outside to get some fresh, cool air and look at the beautiful starry sky to relax and you saw a silhouette on the tallest roof, to which you lazily jumped and realised it was actually Gaara, looking pensive into the horizon.

You carefully went to sit besides him, on the edge of the roof, taking a deep breathe, and softly gazed at his soft, tired features beautifully highlighted by the graceful light of the moon, then you shifted your gaze to the sky, smiling.

 **“The night never stops being ethereal, don’t you think?”**  you said, barely above a whisper. You weren’t really expecting an legitimate answer, seeing that he barely talks, but when he did, it was lullabies to your ears.  
 **“It is.”**  he said in a low voice.  
 **“When I’m away on missions to new places I always like to out and look at the sky. For some reason, it’s always different, but just as gorgeous. It’s calming.”**  you said in admiration.  
 **“I cannot sleep. Ever. Until some years ago, I’d always come here, but my intent was always malicious. Now…I think I learn how to treasure beauty. I feel…At ease, sort of.”** he said, closing his eyes and enjoying the breeze going through his hair.  
 **“It’s never late for a new beginning, you know? As soon as you learn to appreciate the beauty surrounding you, you’re going to feel at peace. Or at least, that’s what I do.”**  you grinned, stealing a glance at him. He looked to be deep in thought, somehow pondering your words carefully.  
 **“I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Y/N.”** he said, nodding at you.  
  
For some unknown reason, only his presence made your mood boost up incredibly and you could feel your happy meter go up with each second passing, so before you went back to sleep, preparing to go back to your home for the next day, you created an ever-lasting ice flower and gifted it to the red-head.  
 **“Here. It’s my gift for you. As long as this flower stays in this shape, beauty will prevail. Don’t worry, I made it specially so it won’t ever melt. Symbolism is the meaning of life, after all."**

Gaara gingerly took it from your hands and analysed in adoration, not taking his eyes off of it. He then muttered a small thank you before offering you a small smile, which had your heart leap in glee.  
  
You really hoped you could make a positive difference in his life.

* * *

 

  
  


##  **_Kankuro  
  
_ **

  
You and Kankuro met when he came over to Konoha to report to the Hokage information from his brother, the Kazekage and at the same time, you also entered her office to give her the scroll you had to steal.  
As soon as you passed on the scroll, Lady Tsunade gave you a knowing smile, as you hid behind your ANBU fox mask.

 **"You work fast, Y/N! You got here just in time for you next mission.”** she said, peering into your eyes.  
 **“I am ready whenever you need me, Hokage-sama.”** you stated monotonously.  
 **“Now, now, no need to rush, give this man a break, he just arrived from Suna.”** she chuckled at your eagerness.  **“For the time being, it will be your mission to show him around the village until he leaves. Then, you will escort him back to his village.”** she said, dismissively.  
 **“Yes, Hokage-sama. I will be awaiting further instructions.”** you bowed and left the room, the man you’ll learn is called Kankuro following you.  
  
You weren’t one to indulge into small talk, seemingly because you weren’t the best at it and ended up furiously trying to dig up whatever subjects you could think of to stir up the conversation.  
The good part of this, however, was that Kankuro leaned more on the talkative side so replying to his random conversation attempts was rather easy and comfortable.

 **“So, haven’t seen ya around. Are you one of Naruto’s many friends too?”** he asked barely stealing a glance in your direction.  
 **“I used to help him cheat in the Academy. Then, we got separated, him with his team, myself with the ANBU and we didn’t get to speak much. Then again, we meet once a month to eat ramen from Ichiraku.”**  you said as a tint of nostalgia hit you.  
 **“Heh. That sounds like a lot of fun. Wish I had as many friends as him, sometimes. He’s so obnoxious, though, I’d rather leave that one out.”**  he chuckled, shaking his head.  
 **“Why do you think we only meet once a month? There’s only so much hyperactivity one can take before it gets exhausting.”** you smirked behind the mask.  
 **“How come you don’t take your mask off? What, scared to charm me to death~?”** he smirked at you, stopping abruptly.  
 **“Supposedly, I’m on a mission. By ANBU rules, I have to keep it on. And not kill the one I’m supposed to protect, if it matters.”** the smugness in your voice was evident, as you too stopped, getting closer to his face.  **“Besides, it’s not like I see you taking off your hood, kitty-cat.”**  
 **“Kitty-cat?! Wh-What the hell?!”**  he stuttered, looking at you wide-eyed in shock.  
 **“Well, clearly, this hood and the paint make you look like an innocent, harmless kitten. Can you prove me otherwise~?”**  you tried to provoke him.  
 **“I don’t look harmle-…Wait a second…You’re trying to provoke me! Oh, no no no, missy, it’s not gonna work with me! I’m a calm, collected person-”** he tried to say, but was cut off by you pinching his cheeks and saying  ** _'hey, kitty, kitty, kitty~!“_**  
 **"I’M NOT A CAT! STOP THAT!”**  but the second he grasped your wrists, trying to make you stop, he halted and smirked. **“How about a truce? If I take my hood off, I get to see your face. Deal?** ” he tried to reason.  
 **“Okay, fine. That sounds like a fair deal.”** you stated calmly, slowly taking his hood off, then ruffled his messy hair.  
 **“That was uncalled for. I said I was going to take my hood off.”** he pouted, trying to arrange his hair back.  
 **“Ah…You’re right, I’m sorry. I was going to tell you that you might be the one charming me to death, after all, but…The deal was broke. Sorry, my fault~! Won’t happen again~!”**  you said, giggling at his betrayed face.  
 **“Y-You…! You tricked me! You evil vixen!”**  he said desperately, trying to reach for your mask, but you quickly leaned back, inches away from his fingers.  
 **“Sorry, love. I guess I won’t be able to kill you with my charm, just yet. After all, my mission is to protect you~.”** you were biting your lip, trying to stop yourself from laughing.  
 **“You’re going to be the death of me…”** he sulked, hanging his head and crossing his arms.  
 **“Keep waiting and I might just be~.”**  you said, pinching his cheek and walking in the direction of Ichiraku’s, willing to treat your new kitty friend to the best ramen in town.

* * *

 

  
  


##  **_Hyuga Hinata_ **

**_  
  
_ **

Your meeting with Hinata could have been on much better terms, but at least you got to save her from the many bullies she apparently had, due to her extremely shy personality.  
Poor girl was the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen and yet, people were actually picking on her.  
 ** _Jerks._**

You recently became a Genin and were on your first solo D-ranked mission, easily rescuing a kitten stuck in a tree, when you saw two boys picking on a short, purple haired girl who was crying on the ground.   
This easily made your blood boil, feeling the burning rage inside you burst, which made you run to those boys and give them a great scolding, making them go away, running.

You sat on the ground and hugged the girl tightly, the put the kitten in her arms for her to cuddle with, hoping that she would be able to relax somehow.  
Thankfully, she started giggling softly, petting the kitten, evidently managing to calm down a bit. Then, she raised her head a bit and smiled through the dried tears.

 **“Th-Thank you, miss…”** she whispered shyly.  
 **“I hope you’re feeling better. Those jerks should learn not to pick up on others, no matter what. Keh. I’m Y/N, by the way. L/N Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, but the circumstances were…Unfortunate.”**  you said, trying to ease the tension.  
 **“I-I’m Hyuga Hinata. N-Nice to meet you, miss Y/N.”**  she said, handing you back the cat.  **“What’s the kitty’s name?”.**  
 **“Ah…Actually, I have no idea. It’s not mine, I just rescued her for a mission. The lady who owns her was distraught.”**  you said, putting her on your back, walking to the Hyuga Compound, making sure she was safe.  
 **“I-I can’t wait until I g-get to become a ninja and h-have my first mission!”**  she said, seemingly excited.  **“B-But…I’m also afraid…That I won’t be strong enough…”**  her voice went down with sadness.  
 **“You know what? Hard work always pays off. If you are having worries, however, you can come see me and I’ll help you train, if you want. I’d be happy to help!”**  you said, trying to make her more excited about her future success.  
 **“If it is not much trouble…I-I’d…love to!”**  she smiled.

After you left her, she waved you goodbye and you went home, happy to have helped a kid who needed help.  
Now, you were very proud seeing her, all grown up, powerful, more confident in her abilities and still your dearest friend.

* * *

 

  
  


##  **_Haruno Sakura_ **

  
You were the leader of Sunagakure’s Medical Division, the head of the hospital, so you knew just about everything that was going on in the city with ease.  
As well as that, you had an unbelievable expertise in anything related to poisons and toxins, having come in handy countless times when you either had to save people, or killing them.

Unfortunately, exactly the day you were away happened to be the day the Kazekage’s elder brother got poisoned by none other than Akasuna no Sasori, your village’s amazing criminal from whose notes you studied many years.

You ran with haste back to the village but you only arrived an hour after Konoha’s medic, a cute pinkette who seemed to know exactly what she was doing, so after a quick check, you realised that your intuition was correct and helped her extract the poison.  
As soon as you saw it, you dipped your finger in it then brought it to the tip of your tongue, which made you gasp in realisation-  
You knew exactly what was wrong with him.  
You knew exactly what poison Sasori used.  
It was one of those he concocted just before he left and it was a truly dreadful one.

Wasting no time, you ran to the ones making the antidote already, with Sakura’s thorough instructions, and added a small bonus ingredient of yourself, then after you were sure it was well made, you went back to the girl, who managed to finish the worst part of Kankuro’s healing.

 **“Sakura, please go rest. I will take it from here, don’t worry. I honestly cannot thank you enough for coming to save him…Shame on me, but I had an urgent mission far away from here and-”**  you rambled, but she only smiled at you in understanding.  
 **“It was no problem, really. I’m just glad I managed to get here in time to save him. This poison…I’ve never seen anything like it before. Just who is this Sasori?”**  she asked, a bit confused.  
 **“He uh…He was one of us, long ago. He was extremely talented and…Well, I cannot say much, really, but he’s the Elder’s grandson…I could never stand her, really…And he’s probably the most skilled puppeteer…And Poison Master.”** you said, trying not to sound too weird for low-key admiring his skills and knowledge.  
 **“Well, that explains a lot, I guess. I just hope the antidote is going to be usable and will help.”**  she stated with a pensive look on her face.  
 **“Ah, speaking of which- I hope you don’t mind that I added a tiny ingredient to the antidote you created. It was great, don’t get me wrong, it would have still worked very well, but I thought it’d help a bit more if I were to add a bit of this rare plant I found in Yukigakure some time ago. It’s supposed to make the healing process more efficient and faster, adding a small bit of immunity to this kind of poison.”**  you said sheepishly, grinning.  
 **“Oh, I’m glad that you did! I never knew of this plant. Guess I’m not all that knowledgeable in this subject, after all. I gotta study a bit more. Would you, maybe, want to help me out with that~?”** she asked, batting her eyes at you, jokingly.  
 **“It’d be my pleasure! Any time we’re both available…Much like now, I can show show you my lab where I keep everything. When you go, I can lend you my notes, if you want. But…They’re quite a lot, if you don’t mind.”** you laughed, seeing the excited glint in her eyes.  
 **“Sounds like a date! Uh…! A plan! I meant a plan! Yes, let’s go to your lab then, shannaro!”**  she tried to correct herself, hiding the blush on her face with a grin, before grasping your wrist and exiting Kankuro’s room, not before seeing the poor boy wink at you, giving you both thumbs up, making you flush in return.

Sakura’s presence, however, was an amazing change of pace and you were really glad that you got to meet someone as great as her.


	6. You Become Friends - Akatsuki

##  **_Hoshigaki Kisame_ **

  
Honestly, you really wanted to say that you were day-dreaming all day of the man who saved your beloved puppy and couldn’t wait for the day he’d be free enough to come visit you…  
But the truth is, you were much too busy with your clinic-duties that you forgot what year were you in.  
  
Sure, your clinic was small and more focused on treating animals, but you couldn’t turn down a wounded shinobi or commoner, especially if they were on the brink of death.  
You were, after all, an elite Medic and nothing was going to change that!

Unfortunately for you, this particular day proved to be extremely dreadful and you just couldn’t wait for it to be over.  
There were countless ninja who came for your aid - more than ever before, in fact - so your chakra could only hold so much until it got you physically and mentally drained.  
  
When you finally managed to take care of all the people, you threw yourself on the comfy chair, letting your head back and closing your eyes, taking a deep breathe of exhaustion.  
  
You really just wanted this day to be over or at least have someone who would bring their pet for a regular check up. Heck, you were going to literally pay them for that - But that was to be your biggest mistake you’ve ever done.

As soon as evening came and you were soon to close your clinic (unless there were emergencies of course) , a woman came in with her elderly dog, telling you the evident symptoms that she noticed and asked what was to be done.  
On closer inspection, you realised that the 10 year old dog needed an urgent, major surgery or he’d die a rather painful death.   
Unfortunately, the surgery was quite expensive, since it required numerous hours of intense focus and precision, expensive tools and medication and so on.  
You were ready to prep in for the surgery, until you heard the owner decline the surgery.  
You gasped in shock at the heartless decision and tried to argue, but they only bid goodbye, left the dog on your table and left the clinic.

You could feel your legs ready to give up so you slumped back down on the chair, crying in disbelief as the poor dog also started silently crying on the table.  
You didn’t even hear the door creak open until a small greeting which faded quickly and with worry.

It was Kisame, the person who you recently met but who became your most favourite one due to his compassion and love for animals.  
He was on his knees in front of you, a bit awkward, not sure what was going on or what to do to calm you down, so he took your hands in his and tried to soothe you.

 **“What happened, Y/N? Who do I have to kill?”**  He said, trying to make you laugh.  
 **“Th-This poor dog needs surgery…A-And his owner abandoned him because th-the surgery was cost way too much and they couldn’t be bothered. I’m just…So angry and…And hurt…How could they abandon the only being who loves them more then they love themselves?! How much of a heartless person can you be to kick your soul? Ah…What do I do, Kisame? What do I do?”**  you said, confused and clearly upset.  
 **“Ah…I see…Uhmm…Well, I could pay for the surgery but I cannot take him in. I don’t trust those weirdos around pure beings like this one. Besides, the dog needs peace and a healthy recovery, not mayhem.”**  he said, pensive.  
 **“Y-You’d do that?! Honestly, I wouldn’t ask that of you, but recently there have been so many patients, both people and animals and they I just…Even if they can’t afford everything, how can I kick them out and refuse to save them?! That’s not the way of a doctor, y'know? I guess I’m a bit broke because of this…And sheltering about 7 dogs, 2 cats, 5 rabbits and a tortoise. I’m in a bit of a…Pickle, one might say.”** you muttered, looking away, ashamed of yourself.  
 **“There should be more people like you, Y/N. If there were, the world would have been a much better place. Would you allow me to help you every once in a while? It’d prove to be a great relaxation way, instead of hearing all those obnoxious shouts back at the hideout.”** he grinned, ruffling your hair.  
 **“Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting you’re an Akatsuki. Well, nevermind that, you can start by helping me prep for this surgery. I’m all by myself here so…I’d really use an extra help here, thank you very much!”**  you smiled softly, hugging him once again.  
 **“It’s my pleasure. After all, you don’t always get the chance to be surrounded by animals, right~?”** he gave you a thumbs up.

You quickly wiped away your tears with your lab coat’s sleeve and started fidgeting around, giddy, making sure everything is perfect for the operation, the feeling of having someone near you who you can rely on making you feel warm.  
  
Meeting Kisame was the best thing that could happen to you, and frankly, the same could be said about him.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Uchiha Itachi_ **

  
Sure enough, the following days you went back to the bookshop, just as before, but this time, you kept the magic book in your bag, awaiting for her new owner to pick her up.  
Today, however, the bookshop was unusually busy and crowded so instead of hiding and reading at your leisure, you started helping your employee friends around, the best you could.  
 _After all, everyone needs help, right?_  
  
As you ran around left and right, putting misplaced books back and tidying up here and there, you suddenly got stopped by two firm hand gripping your shoulders, turning you around to face them-

The person at hand was in fact Itachi, with an amused smile on his face, looking at your spazzic form.  
  
 **“Oh, hi there! When did you get here? I didn’t see you around.”** you asked, putting down book in your hand.  
 **“Just about 5 minutes ago. I tried calling for you, but you were clearly too busy to hear.”** he replied, chuckling.  
 **“Damn! I’m so sorry! Today’s been pretty hectic and well…Yeahh, you get it.”** you said, scratching the back of your neck, sheepishly.  **“Ah, yes, I forgot, let me fetch you the book! It’s all yours, no need to return it. Just enjoy it as much as I did!”** you said with a grin on your face as you ran to get the said item from your bag.  
 **“Are you sure you want to permanently give it away? You said it was your favourite, after all.”**  Itachi inquired, confused.  
 **“I’m not just giving it away to some basic simpleton, y'know? Take it as a token of friendship from one book lover to another.”** you said dismissively.  
 **“Thank you, Y/N. Then, if I may, would you let me buy you a drink to reciprocate the friendship?”**  he asked, smiling.  
 **“Ah, yeah, sure, the cafe is on the upper floo-”**  you tried to say, but he put his arm around your shoulder and guided you outside of the bookshop.  
 **“I know a nice vintage cafe not far from here. I think a little break and a change of scenery could help you relax.”**  he said, petting your hair.  
 **“ How very thoughtful of you, Itachi. Thank you.”**  you said, putting your arm around his waist, gripping on his cloak and leaning your head to his side.

Needless to say, you couldn’t exactly hide your smug grin at the relatively bold move you pull, but on the other hand, he didn’t exactly protest either, seemingly not minding it at all, which you found endearing to the core.

 Once you got in front of this gorgeous cafe, he opened the door for you and you sat at a small table for two in the corner, the powerful scent of coffee soothing your senses and as soon as you took a sip from your hot beverage, you relaxed visibly, with a happy exhale.

If at first you preferred to enjoy the calming silence which helped you completely recover from the exhausting day at the bookshop, you started shedding a bit of light regarding the philosophies used and discussed in the book, hinting at the portraying of evil and good that was the evident and rather controversial topic.

At the end of the day, he offered to escort you home, admiring the mesmerising palette of colours and shades the twilight painted on the sky.  
Finally arriving in front of your home, you thank him for the lovely day and for paying at the cafe.  
  
 **“You know, not even my friends were this nice to me, no matter what I did and yet, you seem to be more special than anyone else I’ve ever met. Take it from me, Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki, if you ever need any kind of information, regarding anything happening in this shinobi world, the 5 big Countries, any smaller village or underground business, you come to me for the intel. I know just about everything going on.”**  you smirked, winking.  
 **“You knew who I really was from the very beginning, and yet, you acted friendly. Why? And why would you offer free intel to a criminal?”**  he asked, clearly confused.  
 **“Why, Itachi, for me, you are not a criminal, but a friend. And besides, you made me a great favour today, so why not? Besides, neutrality and hiding in plain sight are the best assets an informer can have, don’t you agree?”**  you stated, like it was no big deal.  
 **“You are correct. If I dare say, your attitude is rather intriguing.”** he nodded in understanding.  
 **“Until we next see each other, my dear Itachi. After all, you do have to return and tell me what you think of the book, right~?”** you asked, leaning on your front door.  
 **“I do. I have to return to the base now. It was a pleasure spending time with you. Until we next meet.”**  he smiled, starting to walk away.  
 **“Farewell, Uchiha Itachi and say your greeting to your partner, Kisame, as well! Adieu~!”**  you said, chuckling at your new friend who still seemed a bit confused as to how you know so many things, even about a careful, secret organisation like the Akatsuki.  
Clearly, it intrigued him to such a level that he may actually ask for your information services every once in a while.

You already knew you got him hooked on your mysterious veil which he wanted to discover bit by bit. You left him wanting more of this game of truth or concealment of the reality.

You really were awaiting his next visit. After all, he wasn’t the only one caught up in this chaotic web of secrecy.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Deidara_ **

  
Every day since your birthday you kept analysing and trying to re-create the clay-figurine the mysterious blond ninja gifted you. Clearly, you were able to shape the clay into the exact shape he did, but you had no idea how to make it explosive and detonate it the way he did, creating a huge explosion, so you tried experimenting on the same field with different chakra combination and elements and yet, it never seemed to completely re-create it accurately.

On the other hand, each figurine you detonated created different beautiful patterns into the sky, each one a different colour or shade, depending on the mood, chakra amount and nature used.

One day, however, you decided to take a break and go and fetch some more art supplies from the neighbour village. Despite loving to make everything go boom, you enjoyed taking your time to realistically paint each and every one of the pretty animal figurines you. It made you feel like you were creating the ultimate form of art and the results were always truly satisfying.

As you were throwing all the art supplies needed into your bag, you bump your bag into a taller figure,  which makes you lose balance a bit before you turn around, looking weirdly at the one who couldn’t look where they were going, which on further inspection was a certain blond boy that you met before but didn’t know the name of.

 **“You know, if you wanted to come see me, you should have just come back to that field, I don’t bite, y'know?”** you smirked, crossing your arms at your chest.  
 **“It’s you, hn! Wasn’t expecting to see you around, missy. I see you got great quality stuff there.”**  he said, taking every object in your basket and examining it.  
 **“But of course. I wasn’t going to use so cheap stuff on my masterpieces, What about you? What did you get?”**  you asked, shooting back the curiosity.

You didn’t let him say much, however, as you took the basket from his grip and started examining the supplies he took. Sighing, you took some of them and changed them with others of much better quality, explaining to him the benefits of the ones you chose, which made him look at you, eagerly taking in the new information and thanking you for the insight.

To show his gratitude and to say sorry for not having had the proper time to visit you, he offered to pay for your supplies, but you refused and suggested that he should show you the exact way he creates his art, again, back on the field you first met.

You took out the scroll and put all the figurines in a straight line, all beautifully painted and polished, looking like miniature models of the actual animals depicted.  
Needless to say, the man next to you was gleaming in awe, taking each figurine and examining it from every angle. You art was gorgeous, yes, but now, he wanted to see it in action.

 **“So, you took my clay model and made it realistic to every detail, un. For that, I applaud you. But do they explode, yeah?”** he asked, excited.  
 **“Well, uh…Yes, they can explode if I want them to. The only thing is, no matter what I did, I could never make them create such a huge, destroying explosions like yours did. Mine always lean towards a more…Artistic and entertaining way, y'know?”** you mumbled, looking away.  
 **“Hmm…How about this - I’ll show you how to create huge explosions out of the clay models I make, then I’ll teach you how to specifically make this detonating clay, yeah! BUT, only if you detonate all these animal models you crafted, once sun sets, hn!”**  he said, boasting.  
 **“Sounds like a plan! I’m in!”**  you chirped, excited.

He started telling you about the clay properties and what it is made of, then quickly molded it into a spider and tried to explain how to infuse chakra and detonate it, even from a greater distance, with great power.

For the beginning, the blondie gave you some clay which you awkwardly molded into a cute animal, then raised it to your eye level, cooing at how cute it looked, making the man chuckle at your adorableness.  
You extended your hand and tried to mimic the way he detonated the figure the first time you met, which apparently, worked, much to your shock and dismay.  
It wasn’t a huge explosion, just a tiny one, which had your yelp in surprise and have your face and hair covered in ash and soot, as you looked in front of you with wide eyes and your mouth agape.

 **“Hey, don’t do that again, yeah! You could have seriously injured yourself!”** you yelled, just as shocked as you were.  
 **“I…Uh…Wasn’t expecting it to actually explode…”** you tried to mutter, still looking ahead.  
 **“Of course it would explode! You did the-…Hey, how did you know how to do that, hn?”** he asked, cocking his head in confusion.  
 **“You did that last time we met, y'know? When you first showed me your art. I, uh…Tried to do the same. Like…Whoaw!! SO COOL!”**  you breathed out, getting even more giddy after the shock passed.  
 **“You silly…If you want to create art, you can’t kill yourself yet! Not until you are done creating the ultimate form of art, yeah! So careful until you learn, hn!”**  he said, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the soot from your face.

After that, you started chatting casually about art and so on, until you realised the sun was already filled with stars, which made you smirk, get up, and started your own firework show.

Each figurine you took in your hands you infused with double the chakra you used to, so that when you threw it into the sky to be detonated, the whole darkness will be illuminated by the specific colours and the sounds of the said animal.  
The man had never seen anything so ethereal as musical, colourful fireworks and was in awe at everything you did. He noticed, however, that you didn’t have much force in your arms, so he offered to throw the figurines for you, so they will explode higher into the sky, prolonging the shower of colourful lights that was contouring your grace with each move you made.

After the show was over and the only thing lighting the land was Mother Moon and her stars, the blondie thanked you for the great show and said next time it will be his turn to show off.

Seeing that you got him completely mesmerised, you kissed his cheek and winked at him, smirking at his flustered face.

 **“Why, blondie, but I would at least want to know the name of my senpai. You are so talkative and open, and yet, your name is the only one you never gave away. What a pity~.”** you teased the blond in front of you, playing with his long pony tail.  **“Think you’d ever let me braid your hair? It’s so soft and pretty - I’m jealous.”** you muttered, hugging him.  
 **“Uhh…Well…Yeah, maybe one day when I’m free or something…And, uh, I’m Deidara.”**  he said, trying to hide his blushy face, awkwardly hugging back with one arm.  
 **“Well then, Deidara-senpai, I am Y/N and now I have to go home. Hopefully, I will actually see you of your own volition next time~.”** you said, grinning, and waving goodbye to him, as you walked back to your home.

You bit your lip as you heard a faint ‘bye’ from the blondie you started to fancy, grinning at the thought of your next encounter and already trying to make a plan on how to improve your range of explosives.

* * *

  
  


##  **_Akasuna no Sasori_ **

  
You didn’t want to anger the impatient red-head so you quickly took everything left of information value and left the place, like nobody was ever there to begin with then ran by his side back to the Headquarters, where you were introduced to the other members and shown your room.

That whole day you spent arranging and organising all the jars, plants, poisons, antidotes, notes, notebooks, drawings and so on all over the room and on the walls, still having a significant amount of space left to complete information about new, rare plants, roots, animal venoms and concoctions you created.

A knock on your door, however, woke you up from your trance and as you opened it, you get face to face with the stoic Master Puppeteer who recruited you.

 **“Uh…Hello, Sasori. Can I help you in any way?”**  you asked, unsure of what to do.  
 **“I wanted to test your Poison Proficiency. After all, you’re widely renown for that.”** he said with just a tiny glint of intrigue in his eyes.  
 **“You…Want to fight me or what?”**  you inquired, worry dripping from your words.  
 **“No, it’s a waste of time. This should be enough.”**

As he said that, faster than the blink of an eye, he cuts your cheek with a poison blade, then welcomes himself in the room, nonchalantly.  
Clearly, you weren’t affected in the slightest by the poison, but you could easily tell it was one of the most dangerous ones, which would kill a regular human in less than an hour, with excruciating pain.  
You turn around, looking at him bored as you wiped the blood with a tissue and told Sasori the composition of the poison he used, then showed it to him in one of your larger files.

Evidently satisfied with the result, he quickly skimmed through all your stuff, only asking about the foreign herbs or mixtures he never heard of or tried before, then slammed the book shut, saying he will come by more frequently.

Then, he got up and put his hand on your face, tracing the place where the cut should have been, but disappeared.

 **“It took exactly 1 minute and 13 seconds for the cut to heal, 47 seconds for the scar to disappear and less than 4 minutes for my most powerful poison to get completely obliterated by your organism, while others would have been dead by then. And yet, your skin is just as soft as it was previous to the cut I made. You could become the finest puppet.”**  he said firmly, looking deep into your e/c eyes, as if to peer into your soul and learn your secrets.  
 **“Not to be rude…But no thanks. I’m fine the way I am now, I guess. And uh…Extremely proficient cell regeneration, I guess? I can remain looking like this even at 70 years old…If I remain alive, that is.”**  you muttered, looking away.  
 **“Hmpf, that’s a pity.”**  he stated, closing his eyes.  
 **“Since you already had a look through my stuff, will you show me your workshop? I’ve always been quite interested in puppetry, and yet, I never actually got the chance to even try to study it.”**  you said, trying to convince him,

He looked at you with his eyebrow raised in wonder, not having expected anyone to actually be interested in his art, seeing everyone else as truly ignorant, but you presented this ray of hope that he wished to nourish, so he let you intrude in his personal space, having his ego stroked at having someone whose abilities he admired wanting to learn from him.

He started explaining you the basics, which you easily caught, then he showed you how to create chakra strings and attach them to a hand, making its fingers flex, twitch and move at will, action that greatly fascinated you.  
In turn, you tried to create and attach the strings to the puppet, but it didn’t quite work as expected from the very beginning, only making the hand twitch wildly in your lap.  
Seeing that, Sasori chuckled amused at your failed attempt at making elaborate finger movements, but praised you nonetheless, since almost nobody actually manages to do what he did from their first try.

As he was explaining some details about puppet-making, you noticed a small but adorable puppet in the corner of the room and as Sasori wasn’t paying attention to you, being too focused on explaining, you reached your strings to the little thing, trying hard to make it move, which, to your surprise, it did!  
You managed to make the little marionette dance jump on Sasori’s table, making him stop talking as he carefully witnessed the graceful dance the wooden figurine made, finishing it with a courtesy, then fell down, as you detached your strings.

Having managed to do such a feat from your first try, you were visibly shining with glee and happiness, a wide grin not leaving your face no matter how much you tried not to embarrass yourself in front of your mentor, but you were much too proud of yourself!

 **“I’m sorry I disturbed your lecture, but now I can truly see why you love this so much. I’m…Speechless, honestly. I’m in awe.”** you said, gazing at the lovely puppet in adoration.  
 **“Hmm…I suppose practice is always a better teacher than any lecture. You did well today and I am glad someone acknowledges the beauty of true art and its ethereal immortality. It will take a while before you can actually do anything important in a fight using these methods, but until then, hard-work and passion are great motivators.”** he stated, a smug smile on his face at the art victory he achieved.  
 **“I promise I will try to practice as much as I can in my free time. Even if I don’t get to use this skill in a fight, it’s still beautiful and fun. Thank you so much for your patience, Sasori. I truly appreciate it.”**  you grinned at your new friend, glad to finally feel safe and at ease in this new place.  
 **“Here, take this and practice your strings. Next time we see each other, you better have mastered it.”**  you threatened, but you could feel the light joking feeling behind his voice.

You only smiled, hugged him quickly, and left the room, gripping the hand to your chest, excited to start practicing in your room.

Until you went to sleep you just staid in your bed, the wooden hand in your grip, while with your good hand you kept doing your best, trying to alternatively move the fingers, which in the end, you did, allowing you to go to sleep, proud of yourself, barely containing your excitement until you will be able to show Sasori your new skill.

* * *

  
  
  


##  **_Pein_ **

  
The week passed by much faster than you expected, and while you were afraid of such a radical change, you were also rather confused as to how the village will manage without your help. You tried to quickly instruct someone on the simple matters at hand, but it clearly wasn’t an easy job for some commoner who didn’t even know how to read.

When the faithful day of your leaving came, you tried not to regret anything and prepared yourself for the worst.  
On the other hand, this Pein individual truly intrigued you, in a way that he wasn’t affected by your mind-controlling jutsu, and even more, he was already aware he was under it.

When the intimidating man knocked on your door again, you hoisted your backpack on your shoulder and opened the door, not looking into his eyes, silently trudging behind him towards the base.  
The problem was that you were visibly agitated, going through countless scenarios as of why he was immune to your jutsu, until he stopped in the middle of the track, making you bump into his back, unaware of your surroundings. Muttering an apology, you stepped back, tightening your grip on the bag.

 **“What is bothering you?”**  he asked in a low, stoic voice, as if he already knew what you were about to ask.   
 **“How…Did you…You know…”**  you trailed, but couldn’t manage to finish the question.  
 **“I am a God. If I couldn’t stay immune to mind jutsus, then I wouldn’t be the Leader of the Akatsuki.”**  he replied simply, walking ahead.  **“Its power, however, would have crushed anyone else with ease. I don’t recruit just anyone, after all."**

Letting a small, impressed  ** _'Oh’_** leave your mouth, you continue walking in silence until you got to the HQ, where you were quickly introduced to the other members and Konan gave you your new ring, cloak, straw hat and showed you your private room.

Needless to say, it took less than 10 minutes of laying on the bed to get bored out of your mind, so you started exploring the base, until you got to a place that seemed a bit darker.  
Out of curiosity you tried the handle, and upon entering the mysterious room, you found Leader behind a desk, with a huge stack of paperwork in front of him.

 **"I would have never imagined that the Leader of the Akatsuki had to deal with such dull, mundane tasks…Like paperwork.”** you blinked in confusion at the incredible stack of papers. It seemed like a monstruous task for only one person.  **“You couldn’t possibly be doing this on your own, right?”**  you asked, slowly walking towards his desk.  
 **“Unfortunately, it is my task alone to do.”**  he stated, not raising his eyes from his work.  
 **“I know you don’t trust me yet, but maybe I could help? I’m bored out of my mind and anything could serve as a distraction”** you said, hoping for a positive answer, which you received.  **“Don’t you ever get bored doing the same thing all time and alone?”** you tried to make light conversation, but it wasn’t working too well.  
 **“It does. Not much I can do about it.”**  he said, which made you look up, confused.  
 **“You are a God, of course you can do something about it. Besides, I got the vibe that Konan is your most trusted person here.”** you replied, continuing to sign off the papers, stacking them neatly as you looked at him.  
 **“Things are more complicated than they seem.”**  he muttered, barely audible.  
 **“Then make them less complicated. There is always another way, after all. It’s our decisions that matter.”**  you said, trying to lighten up the mood.  **“Besides, I truly hope that I can be of help this way, after all."**  
 **"Perhaps…It may not be as bad as I thought it would be.”**  Pein mumbled, closing his eyes.  
 **“You seem tired. Have you ever tried to take a break? Or relax in any way?”** you tried to trail on, but was cut off by a simple and short negative reply.  
 **“But…Would you ever want to?”**  this question piqued his interest in a way nothing else did in the past days, so peering directly into your soul through the window of your e/c eyes, he asked  **“What do you have in mind?”** , setting down his pen.

You grinned at the man who finally decided to take a break from all the crushing responsibilities, as you took him to a gorgeous glade near a waterfall, not too far from the HQ.  
You sat at the bottom of a cherry tree and you urged the orange haired man to just close his eyes and relax, letting himself be soothed by the calming sounds of nature, reassuring him that nothing is going to attack him whilst indulging in a few moments of tranquility.

When evening came and the Sun started to slowly set, painting the sky with a gazillion of colours and shades, allowing the web of stars to illuminate the Earth, he thanked you for showing him what it’s like to be able to relax, after not having done so for so many years, and proceeded in going back to the HQ, indulging in small talk.

You could already see how you were going to help with with paperwork from now on and maybe even personalise his office with scented candles and sticks.

 

* * *

 

##  **_Konan_ **

****

After the encounter with the gorgeous bluenette, you got hit with a wave of nostalgia so you decided to go read Frankenstein by the lovely blooming cherry blossoms, being a sunny Spring day.  
The glade was empty, the perfume was drunkening and the wind blowing softly, making the pink petals dance in the air was something taken out of a fairy tale.

Sighing in content, enjoying the rare sense of tranquility taking over completely over your body, as you closed your eyes, letting the warm sun rays bathe you shyly.  
As soon as you felt at ease, completely calm, you opened the book and started getting lost in the carefully written words that completely entrapped you in the hectic, unethical world of Victor Frankenstein. So captivated were you by this book that you didn’t notice someone approaching you until the sudden shade casted over your page, confusing you.

Looking up, you’re met with Konan’s gentle smile which completely took you off guard, blushing faintly.

  
 **“Hello, Y/N. It is nice seeing you again.”**  she said in her usual calming voice.  
 **“H-Hello, Konan! I’m so happy to get to see you again! I went by the cafe every day since then, but you weren’t there and-…Uh…M-Maybe I shouldn’t have said that…Damn!”**  you suddenly realised the embarrassing thing that you said, covering your face with your hands, a blushing mess.   
 **“That’s very sweet of you. I apologise, I’ve been quite busy recently. I thought, however, that I might find a good way to relax if I came here. It seems like some guiding force smiled upon me, since you are here as well.”** she chuckled silently, petting your hair.  **“I see you were re-reading the same book I just finished. It makes for a great conversation-maker.”**  she finished, sitting down next to you.  
 **“When I saw you there, reading it with such engrossed eyes, capturing every detail of that book, it reminded me of how much I loved it and I felt the need to pick it up again. You make for a great muse.”** you ended, barely above a whisper.

  
She only smiled at you in appreciation, nodding at your words and started talking about the author, the action, the characters, the ethics of it and so on until you noticed the sun starting to slowly set, which made you grin in happiness.  
You placed the book back in your bag and took out the camera, fidgeting with the setting a bit before taking a test-picture. In all actuality, it looked like a mind-blowing aesthetic picture from Tumblr, so you had to show your enthusiasm to Konan, who seemed to really appreciate the beauty of it.  
  
Seeing her smile and her eyes twinkle in happiness, despite not showing it, made you bite your lip and you took a few pics of her, which turned out to be divine from every point of view. You showed them to her, telling her how she became your new artistic muse and she just blushed faintly, but clearly appreciative.

You continued to take a few more pictures of the place, but then a great idea struck you-  
 ** _A selfie!_**  
Standing down next to her, you inverted the camera and made a peace sign, grinning at the lens, hugging Konan’s arm as she held your hand. You could have sworn a rush of heat surged through your body at the beautiful spark that emerged from you touching, so you enjoyed the moment as much as you could.

After you took the picture, she murmured ** _“I have an idea”_** , so using her origami jutsu, she created a beautiful paper flower which she put in your hair. The sight in front of her made her smile more than she ever did before, then created a few butterflies who would either hold the camera at a bigger distance or fly around, among the cherry blossom petals.

She leaned her head on your shoulder, making a peace sign with you, but just before the camera could shutter, she whispered ** _“You are gorgeous”_**  lowly, into your ear, making a dark blush cover your cheeks, yet the grin from your face could only get bigger with bliss.

After that, she stood up, looking in a direction, which on further inspection showed an orange haired man wearing the same cloak as she did.

 **“Konan, we have a mission soon.”**  he said in a low, stern voice. He seemed strict, but not hostile. In fact, he seemed to in slight familial with the girl.  
 **“Very well, Pein. I shall come soon.”**  she nodded in a monotonous voice. She then glanced in your direction, offering the ghost of a smile.  **“Until we meet again, Y/N.”**  she said, flying away, great angel wings carrying her away.  
You could only stare at her in awe, thinking how you’ve truly been blessed by an angel.

The last picture you took together was definitely going to be framed twice, so next time you see her you could gift it to her.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Kakuzu_ **

 

The next week after meeting Kakuzu fell into blatant platitude and that’s when you realised how much you actually loved being a ninja, constantly going on new adventures and this encounter was just the spark needed to send you energising vibes.  
Apart from the soothing garden-tending you did, you slowly started getting the courage to pick up training once again, pushing yourself to the limit and breaking the boundaries, like you once did ages ago. 

After all, you couldn’t let the mysterious man take you out for a coffee and get bored at how weak you are~.

However, the huge speck of surprise happened when one day, while you were coming home from the village after buying the daily needs, you see a silvery haired man with a 3-bladed scythe cut off your flowers with the dullest expression you’ve ever seen.

Clearly, you could feel the blood boil in your veins as a rush of anger shot through you and you jump-kicked the man in the face, knocking him down and earning a confused look.

 **“The hell do you think you’re doing in MY garden, you jerk?!”** you yelled at him.  
 **“I was getting bored, dammit! You just wouldn’t come back already!”**  he said, glaring at you.  
 **“Oh, yes, of course, excuse my manners, I forgot I was expecting visitors…NOT! Why are Akatsuki flooding this place anyways?”**  you asked, sneering slightly.  
 **“How the hell would I know? I just know that Leader sent us to recruit ya or something.”**  he said, trying to remember what he had to do.  
 **“Us? Who else is with you?”**  you inquired, not seeing anyone around.  
 **“Keh. Just my stupid partner, Kakuzu! Who cares about him anyways? He ran away when he heard there was a bounty to pick around and - ”**  but you didn’t let him finish his sentence, suddenly intrigued.  
 **“Kakuzu, you said? He’s around? Oh damn-”**  you said, running in the house.  
 **“You know that weirdo?!”**  he asked, peering into your small house.  
  
You didn’t get the chance to reply to him, as you quickly did your luggage and put three ice-coffee bottles into your bag, then went outside, telling Hidan to escort you to the Headquarters, to which he happily obliged, slightly annoyed that he had no fight chance.  
On your way there, Kakuzu caught up with you, holding a large suitcase, filled with money, making you smirk at him.

 **“Why, Kakuzu, I hope they didn’t give you the money for my head before you could kill me, right~?”**  you joked, but he didn’t quite enjoy it and suddenly, you found yourself having your neck gripped by his other hand, making you laugh weakly, gasping for air.  
 **“The way I see it, you were lucky I didn’t kill you last time.”** he said darkly.  
 **“Dear, still no coffee? Don’t worry, I already brought it so we can go straight to the kinky stuff later-”** you stuttered, but his grip tightened as he glared at you.  
 **“Oi, Kakuzu, ya idiot! Leader wants her alive! Don’t you dare kill someone else for your stupid money!”**  Hidan screamed in annoyance at his partner, who shifted his glare to him, releasing you.  
 **“You’re oh so kind, my dear. But uh…Really, have some coffee, both of you. It’s pretty good and it’s a great fresh beverage for this hot weather.”**  you said sweetly, handing them the bottles.  
 **“Ha, nice! I already like her much more than you! Hope she’ll be my partner so I can finally get rid of you!”**  Hidan boasted.  
 **“Likewise.”**  Kakuzu muttered.  
 **“Aww, lighten up, Kakuzu! What, can’t I _heal_  my way into your heart?” **you asked, batting your eyes at him.  
 **“Which one?”**  he said, making you stop dead in your tracks, shocked, still staring at him in confusion, until Hidan explained the 5-hearts thingy to you, which made you laugh to tears.  
 **“They say boys who can make you laugh are the best, and damn, are you that? Ah, I can feel my sole heart beating. Please, don’t take it. I actually need it.”** you said, chuckling, a bit wary of him, not wanting to end up as a casualty of your own silly humour.  
 **“That’s the best thing about being immortal! You have no care in the world! Ha!”** Hidan gloated at his own endless life spawn.  
 **“Shut up, or I’ll kill you.”**  Kakuzu said, hitting his partner’s head with his suitcase.  
  
And that’s when the real bickering started happening between those two, which had you laugh more than you ever did before.  
You could already foresee how much greater and more exciting your life in the Akatsuki is going to be, especially with those two around.

On another note…You really hope that Kakuzu isn’t really thinking of choking you to death.  
You still need to have a first date, after all.

* * *

 

 

##  **_Hidan_ **

 

After your wonderful encounter with the Jashinist, you got more and more curious about him, wanting to meet him again.   
It’s more than likely that he wouldn’t want the same, but you have just the right way to convince him to talk to you-

The time when you healed his head back on his body was when his pendant was on the ground and he didn’t even realise the lack of his accessory as he was being dragged away by his boyfriend.  
Now, as you were wearing the pendant and tending to your patient, the door slammed open and a loud curse followed, making you smirk widely-

**_Your lover-boy is back._ **   
  


**“Why, hello there, sugar. Forgot something of importance?”**  you asked, crossing your arms at your chest.  
 **“That is mine! Jashin-sama gave me that necklace! I will kill you!”**  he yelled, foam starting to form at the corner of his mouth.  
 **“Now, now, no need to get hasty, dear. After all, you should be thanking me for safe-keeping it. See? I even cleaned it.”**  you sighed, bored at his dull reaction, taking off the necklace, returning it.  
 **“Then, I guess there’s no need to kill you.”**  he turned around, ready to leave, grumbling.  
 **“Not even a thank you? I thought that charm meant the world to you. Well, guess I was wrong. What a pity.”**  you said, turning to prescribe a receipt to your patient, urging him to run away.  
 **“You think you deserve a thanks for taking care of an item from God?! That’s highly arrogant for a mortal like you!”**  you could already see a vein pop at his forehead.  
 **“I was just trying to create a real conversation. Y'know, a reason to talk to you. A pretext. You seemed pretty cool when I first say you, being immortal and all that…But now that I think of it…You’re so dull and…Bleh. Go away and take your germs with you. You are not worth my time, after all.”** you said, flipping your hair and flapping your hand, gesturing for him to leave the room already.  
 **“I’m dull?! You think I’m boring?! Me, an immortal?! Fine! I’ll show ya what cool means! And you will be amazed!”**  he boasted, taking a hold of your wrists, gripping them next to his chest, as he stared into your eyes, smirking.   
 **“Oh, really? You’re taking initiative, I see? That’s p sexy. What do you have in mind, then?”**  you urged, provoking him.  
  


He then dragged you out of the clinic, made you stay under a tree then he jumped away for a while. After some time, you got bored out of your mind so you sat down, crossing your legs and fidgeted with some flowers, absent-minded, creating a flower-crown.

You were brought back to reality when a loud scream of pain and fright started echoing in the forest, only overshadowed by Hidan’s infamous sling of curses that could put a whole fleet of sailors to shame.

  
 **“Took you quite a while. You are losing Cool Points at a fast pace, Hidan.”**  you pouted, leaning back on the tree.  
 **“Shut up! I had to do my prayers! Tacky, I know, I don’t like it either, but those are the commandments and I cannot disobey!”** he said, kissing his pendant once again.  
 **“Prayers…? Wait, what are you doing?”**  you said, suddenly intrigued.  
 **“Aha! I got your attention now eh?! What you will witness before your very eyes is the sacred sacrifice for my Lord,  Jashin-sama!”**  he screamed to the sky, throwing the man on the ground.  
 **“Boy, you have my full attention.”** you muttered, hugging your knees, watching with wide, attentive eyes.

  
He used his scythe to draw blood from the scared-out-of-his-mind stranger, and doing the same symbol on the ground as the one one his pendant, in blood, of course, he licked the red liquid from his weapon, suddenly turning black and white and laughing like a psycho - more so than usual.

You could only stare with your mouth agape in shock at the scene unfolding in front of you. Sure, you were a tad scared, but the overruling emotion was that of admiration and excitement, wanting to see more of this intriguing scene.  
Out of the blue, Hidan got a sharp pole and impaled his leg, groaning in pain, then laughing, an orgasmic expression taking over his face, as blood kept gushing out of his wound.   
To your surprise, the stranger shrieked bloody murder and fell on the ground, clutching the same leg that Hidan struck and you suddenly realised the whole mechanism of this sado-maso ritual.  
  


Boy, are you gonna tease the hell out of him. _Maybe even a bit of rope play and blindfold would work on this highly religious entity?_

After he ended the sacrifice with him impaling himself in the heart, lying down in the middle of the symbol, he got up and went in front of you with a smug smirk.  
  


 **“How cool am I now, eh?”** he asked in a low voice.  
 **“Dude, you sure are kinky as hell.”** you said, letting out an amused breath.  
 **“Of course I’m coo-…Say what?”**  he ended, looking at you dumbstruck.  
 **“Why, Hidan, you being splattered with blood really suits you. It brings out the passion in your eyes.”**  smirking, you traced your fingers on his chest wound, letting blood go on your fingers, then smudged his face with a bit of it.   
 **“Wh-What the hell are you doing, woman?!”** he asked, a bit freaked out by the skin contact. I suppose that with all this religious fanaticism, he never actually got to have any human interaction before.  
 **“You’ve been so caught up in your own immortality and senseless slaughter that you forgot to treasure the little things life has to offer. You may be immortal, but there is still beauty that deserves to be noticed. Quite like this-”**  putting the flower crown on his head, you smiled gently at the flustered and confused man in front of you, who just stared.  
 **“I don’t get ya. I just killed a man in cold-blood in front of ya, hoping to scare ya off, and yet, yo just look at me like a dumb smiling doe or somethin’ as if I’m some…Some Adonis or somethin’. The hell is wrong with ya?! I could kill you right now and have no regrets!”**  he tried to yell at you, wanting to be angry at you, but the act was see-through and it was clear he wasn’t used with these new emotions.  
 **“You should let go of this anger inside you sometimes, Hidan. There is more than being a ninja to enjoy. There are many other thrills in life than killing and you can enjoy them all. There’s nothing stopping you. Ever.”** you said calmly, putting your hands on his warm cheeks as he avoided your gaze.  
 **“You’re weird. I don’t getcha at all. Just…Just go to hell already. And take this thing with ya-”**  but as he put the flower crown on your head, carelessly, he glanced at you, realising how beautiful you looked with it. “I’ll be damned…”  
 **“What is it, Hidan? Is something bothering you?”**  you asked, cocking your head in confusion.  
  
He only muttered  _ **“Persephone”**_  before another loud scream echoed through the forest, calling out for him.

##                                    ** _HIDAN!!!_**

The said man only screamed in exasperation, realising it was the voice of his boyfriend partner and with one last glance at your divine form, he jumped away, not wanting Kakuzu to approach you again.


	7. You Become Friends - Ninjas

##  **_Nara Shikamaru_ **

 

****

When your first mission together was to be assigned, you didn’t EXACTLY go together, because of precaution reasons…And it went on like this:

 _The Hokage told you the true purpose of the mission then told you to hide in the shadows until she finishes telling Team 10 all the details they need to know. Seeing that they understood the risks, you get out of the shadows, facing Shikamaru, the Team’s leader, with your face obviously covered by the ANBU mask._  
  
 _ **“Clearly, they won’t need any good fortune. They have a Nara on their team, the mission is a definite success no matter how you loot at it”** you said, with a confident scoff.  
 **“I think you flatter me too much without knowing me.”**  he replied with a bored look.  
 **“I don’t know you, huh? Well, that’s a change of situation.”** your smirk widened under your mask.  
 **“Are you saying that you know me?”**  he asked, his eyes widening.  
 **“Do you trust me…Shika?”** you purred his name, teasingly, in a low whisper, only for him to hear._  
 __  
His reply was a flustered stutter, not knowing what to say to this seeming stranger who actually knew who he was. He tried to think of all the people who could be, but he wasn’t all that sure on who to pin-point. After all, there were many people with that hair colour in the village…But yours somehow stood up, in a familiar way.  
And it irked him to no end that he couldn’t precisely tell who you were.  
There was something, however, that screamed  **“TRUST”**  about you, so before you went out of the room, he turned around and said a firm affirmative reply, making you chuckle lowly.  
  


The Ino-Shika-Cho team started their mission and unknown to them, you followed them from the shadows, completely vanishing your chakra trace so they wouldn’t realise you were there- The same going for the enemy about to come.  
Also, just as unknown to them, the mission was a far more difficult than they were informed, but it was more to lure the enemies out so you could pulverise them and take some captives. After all, you could be  ** _VERY_**  persuasive in making them tell you their true intentions…With or without brute force.

The guys were already surrounded, Ino and Choji were visibly shaken up by the amount of enemies, while Shika was tense and furiously trying to think of the next 20 moves that will ensure his friends’ survivability.  
One of the enemies started throwing some kunais at the Nara boy, aiming specifically at his vitals while he couldn’t move because of his jutsu, so you knew it was high-time you took action and teleported between him and the kunais, easily deflecting all of them by flicking your katana at them.

 **“Yo! You thought Konoha would just let a team of kids die for no reason? Now that’s just pathetic of you.”**  you said, condescending.  
 **“Who are you, wench?! You think you can take all of us by yourself while also protecting those babies?! Ha! How ridiculous!”**  one of them laughed at you.  
 **“You’d be surprised…After all, I’ve been bathing in the blood of my enemies. I couldn’t possibly keep my face so soft otherwise, y'know?”** you chuckled lowly, intimidating the enemy.  **“Now…Prepare for your death.”**

Activating your Swift Release, you bolt through the enemies faster than the speed of light, making them all look around, not seeing where you were, as you slashed through them, laughing menacingly.  
It only took a couple of minutes until you were done with more than half of them, until some of them realised your pattern was focusing on protecting your Team, so they threw a bunch of shurikens at them, making you teleport back in front of Shikamaru, only this time, you couldn’t even try to block them, so you shielded your face with your arms, taking all the 6 weapons, making your friends gasp.  
  
 **“Y-You’re hurt! Why would you do something like that?!”** Ino stuttered, scared for you.  
 **“Well…Shikamaru said that he trusts me…So I couldn’t possibly let you get hurt, could I? Now, I’m just pissed off beyond borders.”** you said, gritting your teeth in anger.  
 **“Don’t get hasty! Who knows what might happen-”**  Shikamaru tried to say, but you cut him off with a chuckle.  
 **“Now, now, Shika, listen here. There are 6 shurikens stuck in my arm. I will count until 6 as I take them off one by one. When I reach to 6…These guys either run for their life…Or get shred to pieces.”**  
 **“W-Woaw…That’s so scary…And cool!”**  Choji exclaimed in wonder.  
 **“1…2…3…”** you started counting, easily taking each shuriken out of your flesh, casually dropping it to the floor as you continued your number count  **“4…5…and….6”**  But before the 6th weapon could reach the floor, you were already in the middle of the enemy ground, slashing them, the burning rage surging through your veins. How dare they try to harm your friends?!

##  **_Never again._ **

Instead of mercilessly killing all of them, you kept 5 alive, and made Team 10 help you carry them to a safer place so you could interrogate them.

 **“So, what do we do now?”** Shikamaru asked, looking at you quizzically.  
 **“Well, you see, Shika, since you trusted me, I have to reciprocate, right?”**  you asked, smirking.  **“To tell you the truth, this mission was an S-ranked one from the start, but you weren’t supposed to know. If you knew I was there, or knew the real risks, the enemy would have found out and retreated before I could capture some of them.”**  you explained like it was no big deal.  
 **“Is that why you asked if I trust you?”**  he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.  
 **“Nah, that’s not entirely it. This, however, is the reason. Then again, I thought you’d find out by the time I mentioned your nickname.”** you said nonchalantly, taking off your mask and arranging your shiny h/c hair.  
 **“I-It is you!”** he tried to say, pointing at you as if he’d seen a ghost.  **“ I knew it! But…!”** he was just so confused that he facepalmed, saying how this whole situation was a drag.  
 **“Everything is troublesome for you, Shika. You missed me, didn’t you? Did you have any more troubles with Iruka-sensei~?”**  you asked, looking at him lovingly, grinning.  
 **“Ah, whatever, that doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?”** he asked, scratching the back of his head, sheepishly.  
 **“You never change, do you? But this made you the first Chunin from your generation, so that must mean something. Can’t say that I’m surprise-”**  you giggled, but were cut off by his shocked expression.  
 **“How do you know that?! You were busy with the whole ANBU thing, weren’t you?!”** he asked, not understanding how you could trouble yourself with such trivialities.  
 **“How mean, Shika. I would say that I know just about everything that happens in the village…But really…I work with your father, remember? I think I might have found out before you did.”**  you laughed at his dumbstruck expression.  
 **“Woaw, Shikamaru, I never knew you had a girlfriend!”** Ino said, slyly.  
 **“She’s not my girlfriend! How troublesome…”**  he glared at his friend, annoyed that she’d imply such things.

But really, it was obvious that Ino knew something was going on between the two of you, and sooner or latter, this old friendship would blossom into something much more than either of you would have expected.

* * *

 

##  **_Hatake Kakashi_ **

 

****

For a long time, you were very reserved towards Kakashi and you were afraid to actually let loose around him, indulging in showing any kind of emotion, in fear of failing the Shinobi Code and your parents, who indoctrinated you with this belief.  
Wherever you looked, Jonin like Asuma, Kurenai and Gai had such lovely relationships with their Genins and you could see Kakashi trying very hard with you, but your heart and brain have been battling for dominance for years, but no matter how much you tried, the hard aura your parents had over you always triumphed, so you gave up and kept the cold ice facade no matter how willing you were to scream to the world that you existed and had a heart as well.

This stress, however, was a horrible strain to your heart and body, which became the most visible on your first S-rank mission where you were faced with the one choice you never thought you’d have to take-

 

 

##  **_a) Save your teammates_**  

_**or** _

##  **_b) Successfully complete the mission_ **

 

At first, instinct drove you to abandon your comrades, knowing what your parents would want you to do, but before you could actually do anything, you froze and remembered Kakashi’s masked smile and his words of advice, and you could feel your eyes water.

 

You cursed yourself for this change of heart and returned to where you left your friends, killed of the enemies ruthlessly, your anger at yourself and them evident, and took your the injured comrades to a safe place, trying your best to drag them back to the village and keep them alive.

To be fair, this was your first mission failure and you were scared beyond belief to return home. Your home…And your village, nonetheless.  
Having to face the Hokage and tell him that you failed the mission to save your friends just reminded you the horrible things your parents would say to you about how the mission is more important than your team and so on.  
You successfully took your friends to the Hospital and ignoring your own injuries, despite not life-threatening, still pretty bad, and went to report to the Hokage as formally and professionally as you could.  
  
To your surprise, he was understanding and nodded at you, already forming a plan with Shikaku Nara and telling you to go see Kakashi and discuss the mission since you clearly needed a break.  
You were already an adult by now but the embarrassment was overwhelming you to no end, making you slightly dizzy, eaten away by how your parents would react when you got home so soon.  
You didn’t even realised that you dragged yourself past Kakashi, until you felt two hands on your shoulders, stopping you in place. Jumping in your own skin, you quickly raised your head, eyes widened and glistening with tears behind your mask, seeing Kakashi’s kind visage.

 **“Yo, what happened? You seem in a pretty rough shape”** he said, guiding you to your special spot, under a nice cherry blossom tree.  
 **“I…Failed…”** you said, barely above a whisper, as you hugged your knees, trembling.  
  
 **“What? The mission? Yeah, it happens to the best of us. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”** he said, patting your head.  
 **“No…It’s not okay…If I go home, I’ll get the worst scolding possible…Gods, Senpai, what do I do? I’m scared to go home, is that even normal?!”** he said, completely exhausted of this unnecessary struggle.  
 **“Hm? What do you mean?”** he asked, his attention completely on you.  
 **“If you had the choice…To choose between the mission and your friends…What would you choose? You’d choose your friends, right?”**  you asked, throwing away your mask and looking at Kakashi with desperate, hopeful eyes.  
  
 **“Of course. That’s how Konoha’s ninjas are. We value our comrades.”**  he said, as if it was obvious.  
 **“Then…What do you think I would choose?”** you whispered, scared to hear the answer.  **“You know about the mission circumstances and you also know me. What do you think I…Chose that I failed? After all, if you paid attention, I never said I failed the MISSION. I just said I failed something.”**  you stated, provoking.  
 **“Hmmm….Well, Y/N-chan, I think for you, the answer is obvious. You chose to save your friends, and for that, you think you failed yourself, your village, and the worst, your parents. Am I wrong?”** he asked, nonchalantly.  
 **“I…W-Well…Y-You’re…Not wrong…”** you gulped, looking away. **“I…I wanted to go on…To just leave them there so I could ensure the success of the mission…B-But…I…Couldn’t…I…”** you tried to say, but you covered your face in desperation.  
  
 **“You returned to save them and bring them to safety, huh?”** he stated, knowing it was true. You could only nod in response, making him sigh and bring you closer to him.   
 **“If you ask me, you did the right thing. And to go on, if you ask any Jonin, they would have done the same as you did. There’s always a difficult choice to make, and at the end, no matter what you choose, you will still be filled with regret. I’m sure you know, however, that in your heart, you feel happy and relieved that they will live, correct?”**  he inquired, in a soothing voice.  
  
 **“Y-Yes…You’re right…But…I always thought what they said was true…Devoid yourself of all emotions and you will be able to do everything without any restraint. Everything made so much sense…But then…I saw the other Jonin…How nicely they bonded with their Genins…And then, there’s you, having to deal with a problematic person like me who’s constantly afraid to let go of her parents’ teachings…How come you’ve never grown tired of my idiocy for so many years? I’d have gone insane-”** you sobbed in his chest, trying to understand how he could stick up with you for so long.  
  
 **“Well, I guess I had faith in you. And besides…I saw my younger self in you.”**  he said, looking up into the sky.  
 **“Wh-what?! How could that possibly be true? You’re always so nice and compassionate-… I don’t understand.”** you asked, looking up at him, confused.  
  
 **“You acted the way you did all these years because of your parents and in a way, so did I. When I was young, my father went on a similar mission as you. Like you, he chose to save his comrades, failing an important mission. In return, instead of gratitude and understanding, he was greeted with eternal shame and stigma…So much that it drew him to suicide.”** he explained in a low, sad voice.  
 **“N-No way…! Konoha did something like that?!”**  you gasped in shock.  
 **“It did. This made me think that I should put the mission above anything else, including my friends, so no matter who I met, I never got close to. My team, my teacher, his kind wife, the other Genin teams…All I had in mind was how to become stronger and be the perfect tool the village required.”**  he continued his story, closing his eyes in recollection.  
 **“Then…Who changed your mind? You couldn’t possibly change your mind by yourself, could you?”** you mumbled.

  
 **“One of my teammates did. On our last mission together, during the 3rd Great Ninja War, Rin was captured. I said we should leave her and go on with our mission since she’d be surely dead by the time we’d get there, but he protested and went ahead, so I had to go after him, or he’d completely ruin the mission…”** he sighed.  **“In the end, we saved her…At the cost of his own life. It was then that he awakened his Sharingan…But also, it was then that he got half-crushed by a stone, and his dying words was to protect Rin…And he gave me his Sharingan.”**  he said, raising his forehead protector, showing you his red eye.  
  
 **“Then…Where is Rin now? I haven’t heard of her around the village…”**  you asked, trying to grasp the situation, but he only hung his head.  
 **“I had to kill her. The situation was complicated, but it was her last wish.”**  he replied, shocking your with his whole story.  
 **“I see…So…I guess we all have our bad parts, but with the help of our loved ones, we can learn to be better, right?”**  you said, trying to smile between your tears.

  
 **“Yeah, I think that’s the case. If I could, so could you. I decided to train you not only because you were incredibly gifted, like the others told you, but because you reminded me so much of myself and I wanted to finally be the one to save someone. To make my friends and myself proud for once. I promised I wouldn’t fail anyone again.”** he said, smiling at you, encouraging you.

You looked at him with big, relieved eyes, then hugged him tightly, thanking him and asking for his forgiveness since you were so afraid and stubborn, causing him sadness all these years without realising.   
You promised him you would let yourself become a human being and wear your heart on your sleeve.  
The only remaining problem was your parents, with which he easily assured you that he’ll help, already telling you about this nice and cozy little apartment that you could immediately move in so you would escape the unneeded toxicity from your parents.

As you both stood up, grinning at each other, an obvious strong bond forming between the two of you, you got passionately jump-hugged by someone garbed in a green latex suit…  
Someone who could only be Maito Gai, Kakashi’s eternal rival and secret best friend.

 **“AHHH, KAKASHI, Y/N, I’M SO PROUD OF YOU! YOU FINALLY FORMED SUCH A PASSIONATE AND YOUTHFUL FRIENDSHIP! I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!”** but the way he was hugging you only made you gasp for air…  
The idiot was more strangling you than anything…  
But it was a nice feeling, regardless.

**_The feeling of having friends.  
_ **

* * *

**_  
_ **   
  


##  **_Sabaku no Gaara  
  
_ **

 

****

It was known to everyone that Gaara was seen as a monster until very recently, which you didn’t like, since you could see the innocence, purity and sorrow in his eyes whenever you met him. Being the Kazekage, he was always so busy, but for some reason, he’d always take the evenings off to walk with you around Suna, going to all the nice little cafes and so on, and really, you appreciated that with all your heart. He was an amazing person who just wanted to prove his worth to his people and gain their respect.  
  
This is a person who would die for his peers, but they are all so afraid of him because of others’ mistakes that affected him and his past. This is exactly why you wanted to make sure you show him the beauty of life and its every aspect, no matter how insignificant, like how soothing the various tea aromas are, the various shades the sky would have every day, all the constellations on the clear sky or the infinite cloud shapes.

You found out that he was drawn to plants and life, so one day you gifted him a small cactus in a pretty purple pot. Gaara held it carefully, looking at it in wonder and put it on his Kazekage desk, then asked you how to properly take care of it.  
You happily obliged, telling him everything you knew about cacti and their maintenance, and you could swear you saw a small smile on his face.

The next time you went there, the cactus has a tiny blooming purple flower and it seated next to a very little green watering can that had a smiling red flower drawn on it. Then, you realised that on the pot, there was a small piece of paper and  ** _“Violet”_**  was written in very pretty cursive. This really touched your heart and you could only grin in appreciation and happiness at how well the red-head would take care of his little spiky friend.  
  
  
 **“I’m very impressed at how well you take care of Violet, Kazekage-sama. I think plants really love you.”** you said very impressed.  
 **“Please, do not call me that. Just Gaara is fine. And…I think it’s amazing how this little plant could give someone such happiness.”**  he said, not taking his eyes off the little cactus.  
 **“Next time I come here, I promise to give you a little bonsai. They are much more difficult to take care of and require constant attention…And they absolutely love when people talk to them nicely.”** you said, beaming with happiness.  
 **“Plants can hear? How can they know if I talk to them or not? Or if I say nice things?”**  he asked, looking at you with wide, curious eyes.  
 **“Well…Honestly, I have no idea. But everyone saw that if they talk nicely and daily to their bonsai, it grows harmoniously.”**  you said, thinking of the right answer.   
 **“Woaw…Plants are really amazing…”** he exclaimed, fascinated.  
  
But before you could say anything else, Kankuro came in the room and stopped mid-track, a bit confused why you’d pay so much attention to a plant.  
  
 **“It’s…Just a plant, you guys…”**  he sweatdropped.  
 **“Shush you! You shouldn’t be one to talk, really, y'know? Spending every damn second of your life with your stupid puppets and all that. Even plants have more life than you do.”** you scoffed at him, looking away.  
 **“Kankuro…Did you know that plants like it when you talk to them?”**  he said in complete fascination, looking at his elder brother like a child telling a parent something new they just discovered.  
 **“Uh…No, I didn’t. Anyways, Gaara, the Hokage asked to see you. Said something about an important discussion.”** he told his brother, seriously.  
 **“I see…Very well the-….Kankuro! I have a very important mission for you! And you MUST promise to complete it with utmost care!”** the red-head looked alarmed at his brother, who widened his eyes in shock, thinking it was something very important and life-or-death.  
 **“O-Okay, Gaara, you know you can trust me. What is it?”**  he said, trying to calm his brother down.  
 **“Please…Every day you must promise to come in my office, water Violet and tell her she is appreciated!”**  he said, very strictly.  
 **“V-Violet…?”**  he asked, sweatdropping at the request.  
 **“The cactus, you idiot!”**  you said, annoyed at his reaction.  
 **“Ah, sure, fine, if that will make you happy, I will.”** he sighed dismissively.  
 **“Thank you, Kankuro. I knew I could rely on you.”**  he said, smiling.

  
Kankuro stared at his little brother a bit and seeing the relief in his eyes, he smiled at him, letting you escort him to your village.  
Just as you were about to leave, you saw some villagers look at him in disgust , trash-talking him, calling him a monster and what not, which obviously upset him, but he showed no emotion on his face, only ignoring and walking away. 

This whole scene, however, clearly made you sad beyond belief and anger became the prime emotion, scolding the hell out of those villagers, reprimanding them and saying how amazing of a person Gaara actually was.  
What wasn’t surprising was how they ran away, leaving you to sigh aggravated, just wanting to punch their faces in.  
Turning around to join your friend back home, you notice he was staring at you, eyes wide in shock, which confused you.  
  


 **“What is it, Gaara? Are you okay? I hope you didn’t put their words at heart, they’re just some idiots.”** you said, trying to soothe him.  
 **“Why did you do that?”**  he asked, blinking.  
 **“Do what?”** you inquired, not understanding what he was trying to say.  
 **“Talk about me like that. Nobody did that before.”**  he said, not sad, but just trying to understand.  
 **“I can’t accept anyone trash-talking a wonderful person like you. And besides, I consider you a friend. I wouldn’t be such a great friend if I didn’t protect you, would I?”** you grinned at him, trying to cheer him up.  
Instead, his face flushed a bit and he put his hand on his chest area, looking down.   
  
You thought he wasn’t feeling well so you rushed over to him, holding his hand and with the other feeling his forehead for a fever, and in all honesty, he was a tad warm, but nothing close to a fever.  
  
 **“Gaara, are you feeling alright? Is your heart hurting?”**  you asked, concerned.  
 **“Uh…No…But it’s racing faster than normal. It’s…weird, but it also feels good.”**  he said, not understanding this peculiar phenomenon.  
 **“O-Oh…! Aww, that’s really sweet, then! Gaara, I think what you’re feeling is your body telling you that you care about me, at least enough to consider me a friend!”**  you grinned, excited.  
 **“I think you are right…Then, I’m glad that you are my friend. Thank you.”**  he said with a gentle smile, gazing at you with gratitude.  
 **“I’m happy that you consider me a friend too, Gaara. I’m very happy.”**  you told him as you surprised him with a hug.

 At first he didn’t know how to react, but as soon as he copied your move, you could feel his heart racing a bit harder than before. Nonetheless, this new warm feeling was something you absolutely live for, and hoped the red-head reciprocated.

It was a long and uneventful journey back to Konoha, thankfully. You didn’t talk much, but even the short conversations you had were meaningful and lovely. You found it adorable how Gaara would now learn the beauties of life and you were happy that you could be the one to guide him into seeing the good parts of life.  
  
The Hokage said the meeting would take place the next day, letting him rest for the time, so you decided to take him to your favourite cafe and at the end, you took him star-gazing, and told him a pretty little trick about cacti, which you directly showed him on your own plant.

 **“And, you put this cute piece of cloth around the edge of the pot like this…Do a knot…And that’s it!”** you exclaimed, watching the lovely display with glee.  
 **“What is it?”**  the boy asked, looking at it attentively.  
 **“It’s…A _cactie_.” ** you grinned at your own silly joke, trying to explain the pun.  
Once realisation took over him, he let out an amused sigh and promised to give Violet a lovely light-blue cactie as well, so your plants would match.

* * *

  
  
  
  


##  **_Kankuro_ **

 

  
  
You were enjoying Kankuro’s company far more than you wanted to admit- more or less because he was so easy to tease and his reactions were adorable. To be fair, you still didn’t take your mask off, but even if you did, you learnt from your senpai, Kakashi, to always keep a secret mask, just in case.  
On the other hand, what you loved the most about your ANBU mask is that it’s a cat one, which compliments your nickname for Kankuro perfectly.

A week passed since you’ve been hanging out with him more or less due to the mission assigned, but even so, it was the most fun you’ve had in ages. Working with the ANBU was no easy stuff- always in danger, life-threatening situations and what not, and to top it all, you were the captain of your squad, so you were in charge of your teammates too.

**_Lovely, huh~?_ **

Today you decided to take Kankuro to one of the loveliest places in the forest where you would go to train and relax when you were younger. It was a gorgeous clearing illuminated shyly by the warm rays of sun, where dozens of butterflies would fly around and the cute critters of the woods would come to greet you if they sensed your heart was pure and kind, which by now, they knew you already.

 **  
“So, what’s this place? It’s pretty, but I think it means something more to you than some random spot in the forest.”** he wondered, looking around nonchalantly.  
 **“Well thought, Kankuro. You can call this my little piece of Heaven, if you wish.”** you explained, smirking.  
 **“Mhm. Well, you’ve nice tastes, I guess.”** he nodded in acknowledgment.  
 **“Can’t you just appreciate the beauty of this place and relax for once? Apart from the occasional bunny, there’s nothing going to attack you here.”** you sighed, a bit aggravated by his nit-picking attitude.  
 **“Well, if you say so~ Then I’ll indulge.”** the puppeteer exclaimed.

  
With an easy-going smile, he put his hands behind his head and let himself plop on the soft grass, letting his eyes close peacefully. You could only look at him in wonder, seeing how relaxed he could get even in a place unfamiliar to him…  
Sometimes, you wished you could let yourself relax like this too, but honestly, you forgot how to even get a good night’s sleep in your own home, in the middle of the village.  
 ** _It was quite pathetic._**

Smiling softly, you sat on your belly next to him and with a finger, you started scratching him under the chin, making him unconsciously make a cute kitty smile. Propping your own chin in on your palm, you started cooing at him for being an adorable kitten, not hiding your obvious teasing tone. He stayed like that for what seemed like a minute until he suddenly snapped open his eyes, probably realising what was going on, and quickly went into a sitting position, glaring at you.  
This behaviour of his made you chuckle as you rolled on your back, hands behind your head, one knee bent while the other leg sat over it, looking innocent, as if nothing happened.  
  


 **“What is it, Kankuro~? Did something happen~?”**  you asked, teasing the boy.  
 **“You…! YOU VIXEN! Don’t treat me like some pet!”**  he screamed, pointing at you accusingly.  
 **“But you’re so adorable, Kitty-cat~! Can you really blame me? Besides, you seemed to be enjoying yourself, why break that over some petty cocky pride? Is it really worth it?”** cooing at him, you tried to scratch his chin again.  
 **“Shut up…”**  Kankuro muttered, looking away, embarrassed.  
 **“You seemed at ease…How do you do that?”**  you inquired, curious.  
 **“Do…What? Relax?”**  he asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.  
 **“Mhm. With all that’s been going on in the past years, I can’t even rest at home without getting startled by the wind and waking up in the middle of the night 3 times.”** you told him, a bit bummed out.  
 **“Ouch. That must be really painful, huh?”** he cringed at the thought of not sleeping properly, much like his younger brother, and thought of a solution.  
 **“I guess it helps in missions, at least.”**  you shrugged, thinking you are helpless.  
 **“How can you resist?”** he asked in a low voice.  
 **“I s'ppose I’m pretty resilient. This place has always been the only way I could relax in some way, but still not as much as I would have liked. ”**  you said dismissively.  
 **“Hmmm…Well, I think I’ve got an idea.”**  he looked as if a lightbulb appeared above his head.  
 **“Amaze me, love- ”**  you tried to begin, but before you could say anything else, he put your head on his chest, making you flustered and quite confused at his actions. 

You said nothing, trying to analyse the situation and understanding how could this help you in any way, when he put his hand in your hair, playing with it soothingly. Weirdly enough, you could already feel yourself slowly relax, a weird, warm energy surging through you.

  
 **“Wh-What is this?”** you tried to say, stuttering a tad, not understanding what you were feeling.  
 **“Dunno, but it’s working, isn’t it?”**  he said, knowingly.  
 **“Mhm…”** you hummed in appreciation, feeling a wave of tiredness taking over you.  
 **“When I was very little, my mum would do this and sing me to sleep when I had a nightmare. Now, I didn’t inherit her great voice, but this is something I can do for sure.”**  he explained in a nostalgic voice.  
 **“It’s…Really nice.”**  you said with a sigh.

As he hummed in approval, he closed his eyes, continuing to play with your hair. You too managed to close your eyes in peace for a few before you heard a twig snap, and in the blink of an eyes, you were on your feet, weapons out, ready to pulverize the enemy-…

  
That proved to be, in fact,  __ **a small bunny.**  
  
Kankuro only laughed at you while you sighed and put your weapons back in their sheathes, kneeling down and letting the bunny hop on your hands. Your shoulders slumped down after the sudden shock and you sat down next to the boy, letting him pet the small critter. He was a bit reluctant, not wanting to scare it off, but to his surprise, it leaned on his touch, making you smile at the puppeteer’s hidden gentle side.  
You didn’t even realise that his other hand was on your hair, petting it gently, making you also lean in, until he shifted his gaze on you, chuckling.

  
 **“I guess the rabbit isn’t the only one who likes this.”**  Kankuro teased you.  
 **“Mh…Don’t ruin the moment, Kitty-cat.”** you murmured, glaring at him slightly behind the mask.  
 **“You’re going to be the death of me.”** he sighed, pouting.  
 **“The only kind of death you’d want.”**  you couldn’t even stop teasing him.  
 **“I won’t argue with that.”** he said, grinning down at you.

  
You could only stifle a laugh at his cute expression before you leaned your head of his shoulder, closing your eyes and enjoying the moment as if it was your last happy one.

* * *

 

 

 

##  **_Hyuga Hinata_ **

 

  
Many years passed since you first met the young and sweet Hyuga girl and you were very happy to see that with these years, she made up with her brother, found a role model to show her how to raise up and not give up, and on top of that, she found true friends to support her, which is the most important.

Sure, since you were a tad older, your rank was also higher, which meant that you wouldn’t have the time to meet up too often, but in the rare occasions that you did, you’d always cherish it.  
Today you were assigned a new mission which would start in a week and it took place in Yukigakure, a place where it’s always Winter, so you had to get really warm clothes as precaution.  
When you told Hinata about your mission, she got very worried and told you to be very careful, so you only grinned and kissed her forehead, telling her that you appreciate her worry, but to your surprise, her face flushed up redder than a tomato and uh…

##  **_Fainted._ **

 

Blinking in confusion, you pick her up bridal style and bring her to a pretty meadow near a river, secretly thanking the stars that nobody was around to disturb you, so you sat down, resting her head on your lap as you soothingly played with her hair and absent-mindedly hummed a song from your childhood.

To be frank, you got a bit bored until she woke up, so taking advantage of the many colourful flowers around, you started making a light purple and white flower crown, making it so pretty that it made you grin in satisfaction.

By the time you were ready with it, you feel a shift and see Hinata getting into a sitting position, apologising frantically for acting the way she did.

You couldn’t help but smile at her lovely innocence and put the flower crown on her head, admiring her beauty.

 **“Well, Hinata, if you wouldn’t mind, I think now you look like a real princess. Flowers look amazing on you. You’re gorgeous.”** you said, moving a hair strand behind her ear.   
 **“Th-Thank y-you, Y/N-chan…”**  she stuttered, looking down, trying to hide her rosy blush.  **“B-But…I th-think you are m-much prettier than me.”**  she said, trying to look at you.  
 **“You do? Well, if that’s the case, would you make me a flower crown too, so we can be princesses together?”** you asked, grinning at her with a glint of teasing in your eyes.  
  
She only nodded and looked around for the perfect colours that would go well together and suit you the best, and in the end, with her hands softly shaking in embarrassment, she made a gorgeous flower crown in your two favourite colours, then put it on your head, with a soft smile, gazing at you in admiration.

  
 **“I was right, y-you’re really beautiful, Y/N-chan!”** she exclaimed.  
 **“Thank you, Hinata-chan. Well, then, I guess now we can rule the world together.”**  you said, putting your hand over hers.  
 **“R-Rule the world?”** she asked, blinking in confusion.  
 **“Ah, right, I don’t even need to rule the world. I already have it.”** you chuckled, looking at her.  
 **“Wh-What do you mean by that?”** she pressed on, curious of your metaphors.  
 **“Well…I have you in my life, right? You are my world, Hinata-chan. I think that’s enough for me.”**  you said in a sweet voice which only made the girl flustered even more.

  
You stayed like that until late evening came and you escorted her back home, being greeted by Neji who apparently was about to look for her as well, making sure she’s alright.

  
 **“Don’t worry, Neji-san, I’ll take care of Hinata-chan with my life.”** you said winking at him, reassuringly.  
 **“Thank you for that, Y/N. Hinata-sama, it is late. Let us go home now.”**  he said, calmly, the ghost of a smile forming on his face, seeing his cousin beaming with happiness.  
 **“Th-Thank you for today, Y/N-chan! Good night!”**  she exclaimed, waving at you, smiling sweetly.

You waved at her back with a content face before you went back home, resting for the week before your mission.  
That morning, as you were about to take off, you were greeted by Hinata who was holding something in her hands, which on further notice, you realised was a f/c scarf.  
When you asked why she was here at such an early hour, she said that she had to make sure you’ll be alright and put the scarf around your neck, kissing your cheek and wishing you good luck and a safe journey.

You were so touched by her actions that you hugged her tightly and promised to return to her with a pretty souvenir before you actually took off, her sweet smile in your mind.

* * *

  
  


 

##  **_Haruno Sakura_ **

 

  
After Sakura had to leave back to her own village you were a bit sad because nobody around actually had the same passion about healing and learning and nor did they memorise trivial stuff so easily and still be interested in more.   
The good part was-  
  
You have always been a close friend to Kankuro and after witnessing how you’d always light up in glee when the pinkette would enter the room, making you drop everything you were doing just so you could talk to her about virtually anything, and he decided that he’d convince Gaara to give you as many missions in Konoha as he could, but careful enough not to tire you out, especially since you were the head of the Suna Hospital and people needed you.

Today you had another simple mission to the Leaf Village and you were very excited to get there, get it over with and find the girl you were looking for since she promised to show you around the village.  
Sure enough, just as you exited the Hokage’s office, you were greeted by Sakura, who was leaning on the wall with a smug expression on her face, which made a confused smile appear on your face.

  
 **“Hey, Sakura! So glad to see you!”**  you said, excited.  
 **“It’s great seeing you too, Y/N! How are you? Everything alright in Suna?”** she asked, making small talk.  
 **“Yeahh, the Kazekage and his brother are in perfect health now, thanks to you and your help. Thank you again for your aid. We couldn’t have done this without you.”** you said, gratefully.  
 **“Alliances are important, but protecting precious friends is what’s even better. Besides, I wouldn’t have met you, right?”** she winked at you, giggling.  
 **“Ha, yeah, you’re right. Well, I brought a dossier with all the rare plants I found in Yukigakure and-”**  you tried to say, but she quickly cut you off.  
 **“Nope! Today, you’re going to relax and rest! No more studying or anything of the sort. Come on, I’ll take you to the best place in Konoha!”**  she took your wrist and dragged you to this really quiet tea place where the ambiental music was lullaby to your ears and the various tea aromas would make your knees go weak.  
  
 **“This is amazing…!”**  you said, breathless.  
 **“Mhm! And the books here are really good for a light reading too. It’s a nice system where you come here and if you want, you can leave a copy of your favourite book, and in turn, you can browse and borrow any book here.”**  she explained, pointing to the many vintage bookshelves. You only stared in wonder as you examined each and every book until you got to one that stole your eyes.  
 **“Oh, The Picture of Dorian Gray! Nice choice, Y/N. You know what’s hilarious?”** she asked, looking at you with a smile.  
 **“What is?”**  you inquired, holding the book close to your chest.  
 **“I brought that book here.”**  she stated simply, leaving you shocked.  
 **“No way! Really? Woaw, that’s amazing, really. What a great coincidence! Then, I guess this will be the first book I read from the long list I have.”**  you grinned, sitting down at a small table where a little vase with lavenders was placed and a few small, scented candles were surrounding it, giving off a scent that soothed all your senses.  
  
Sakura really had amazing tastes in cafes and tea places. Before you could even open the book and read the first book, she started reciting one of Dorian’s lines with perfect intonation, no stuttering, everything spoken perfectly, making you stare at her in admiration and wonder.   
When she finished, you could only clap her, amazed at her memorization skills and praised her.  
She only grinned at you, appreciatively and sipped from her tea, trying to hide a forming blush on her cheeks-   
But you saw, which made your heart race.

After you finished your tea- and a small argument about her paying and saying how you will pay when she comes to Suna-, she decided to take you on a relaxing walk through the forest since nobody would be there, training, which surprisingly, was quite true.

 **“Ahh, Sakura~! I found you~!”** you heard a teasing voice call from behind, which on further inspection was a pretty blonde girl with light blue eyes.  **“What are you doing here? Hi, you must be the new friend Sakura mentioned! I’m Ino, nice to meet you!”** she said, extending her hand for you to shake, which you did, but felt a bit awkward since you had no idea who she was.  
 **“Hi, Ino, I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you too.”** you said, trying to smile politely, but you weren’t exactly great with strangers.  
 **“I’m busy, Ino, come back to pester me later, okay?”** Sakura said, putting her arm around your shoulder, urging you to walk away from her.  
 **“Ahh, Sakura, Sakura, you and your big, billboard forehead never change, do you?”** Ino asked, laughing.  
 **“Shut up, Ino-pig! Go away!”** Sakura yelled at her frenemy.  
 **“Aww, why do you get so flustered? As if you didn’t kno-”** she tried to say, but you cut her off.  
 **“I don’t get why you’re so mean to Sakura. I think she looks very pretty. Besides, she doesn’t have a big forehead, and her haircut really suits her.”** you said, shrugging.  
 **“Y-Y/N-chan…”** Sakura murmured, shocked at your words.  
 **“I understand now! Sakura got over Sasuke-kun and got a girlfriend to protect her, hmm~?”**  she stifled her laughs as the pinkette would just fume.  
 **“Well, at least she has a girlfriend. I don’t see you having anyone saying nice things about you. Bye, Ino-pig!”**  you said, holding your friend’s hand and walking away from the angry blonde.  
  
 **“Thank you for your nice words, Y/N-chan. You didn’t have to…I and Ino have always been like this. Well…Since we found out we both liked the same guy, that is.”**  she explained with a sigh.  
“ **I think ruining a friendship over a guy is pretty sad, actually. But, if it helps with anything, I think you’re much prettier than her.”** you said, trying to lighten up the mood.  
 **“Well, I figured that out some time ago…Also, I think I actually managed to get over Sasuke-kun…Sasuke, my former teammate.”** she said, smiling at the sky.  
 **“That means you and her can be the great friends you were before the falling out happened, right?”** you asked, hopeful.  
 **“Nahh, I think I quite like our constant bickering. It’s entertaining now that we’re both aware that none of it is true. It’s our unique way of showing that we care for one another.”**  she laughed, shaking her head,  
 **“Well, as long as you’re happy, I think it works. That smile looks gorgeous on you, if you ask me.”**  you said, nonchalantly.

She only widened her eyes, looking at you, then shifted her expression into a grateful smile and kissed your cheek, thanking you and intertwining her fingers with yours, continuing the relaxing walk through the woods, nobody bothering you anymore.

Unknown to you, Ino was still watching the two of you, cheering silently, happy for her best friend.


	8. Kankuro

**"Honestly, what a drag...I'm stuck around in an endless circle of boring missions...What is the Hokage even thinking? I'm an ANBU not some Genin who has to rescue cats and take out weeds. I mean, I have my own self-missions! ...And that other stupid cat hasn't replied in a week...Don't tell me Gaara gave him a mission? Come on, Neko-chan, don't scare me for no reason...Ah! Nevermind, I'm close to the Country of Wind anyways, better pay my friends a little visit~!"**  The red-head smirk widely under her fox mask, changing the direction of her running completely, now super excited to surprise her dear friends she hasn't seen in a long time.  
  
Much to her shock, however, she wasn't welcomed by either of the Sand Siblings at all, but in fact, one of the officials told her that Temari was on ambassador-business in Konohagakure, while the Kazekage got kidnapped, and Kankuro got injured trying to rescue him, and is in grave danger.  
Having already taken off her mask, her jaw hung open as she didn't let him finish his sentence, already being on her way to the Hospital.  
There, in one of the beds, was a single patient, writhing in pain, eyes closed, groaning in agony as if he was having a nightmare.  
  
 ** _It was Kankuro._**  
  
But not Neko-chan, the Puppet Master that she used to tease endlessly and play around with.  
This wasn't him.  
This was Kankuro, a normal person with an injury that could end his life in the blink of an eye.  
A person who was struggling to keep on going, to save his little brother from an inevitable demise.  
  
The sight in front of her made her realise that, despite being in the ANBU, the Konoha teaching and the Will of Fire stuck to her tighter than she'd have ever wanted to admit.  
For the first time in ages, she could feel something.  
A sharp pain in her chest, as if her heart was being stomped on and crushed in front of her very eyes  
  
A shinobi shouldn't have emotions, or it would destroy the completion rate of the mission.  
  
 ** _"Guess I should just quit, then?"_** those thoughts rung in her head.  
  
Trying to calm down, she softly made her way towards him and sit on his bed, pushing away the hair from his face and wiping the thin layer of sweat forming, as she held his hand gingerly, kissing it.  
  
 **"Damn it, Neko-chan...If only I knew this happened...I should have realised much sooner...I'm...I'm sorry...Please don't die...Gaara needs you...And Temari too...And all Suna, of course...And well...I guess I need you too...Tsk, who was the imbecile who dared mess with you?! Once I find out, I'm going to...Goodness, what am I not going to do to him! I will avenge you, that's certain...But...Is there anything I can do to help, I wonder..?"**  Kitsune mumbled aimlessly under her breath, the words addressed more towards her than anything else, as she could barely look at the brown haired boy in front of her, instead settling for searching for a medical nin so she could understand the situation better and see if she could possibly give any help.

* * *

Kankuro knew that it was a bad idea. He knew that he shouldn't go after Gaara because the individuals who had abducted him were dangerous and if Gaara couldn't defeat his abductor, then he knew that he had no chance going up against the guy, let alone two of them. And yet he'd still gone because Gaara was his brother and he loved him. And Kankuro had become extremely protective of his younger brother after that, so to see Gaara be taken away and not do anything about it was out of the question even if he knew that it was a lost cause and that he was probably going to end up dead.   
  
Maybe he didn't end up dead but his current condition really wasn't all that better. He hadn't thought that being poisoned could hurt quite so much. But that was probably the point; to leave the inflicted victim in as much pain as possible before they eventually died. What had he been told? Four days? Two? Kankuro was having a really hard time remembering how much longer he had to live when he couldn't even figure out how to breathe properly. Each breath felt painful and his entire body was searing with pain. All he'd been able to understand was that the doctor's had no idea how to help him. But he wasn't afraid because the only worry that he had was focused on Gaara. He wanted to know that his brother was alright and that he was going to come back home. If he was told news like that, then he could die happy.   
  
He would fall asleep from time to time. Restless sleep that was plagued by nightmares. And when he'd open his eyes, his vision would be so blurry that he'd just close them all over again and try to make sense of the voices around him. One voice surprised him because he hadn't heard it in awhile.  
He couldn't understand most of the words but Kankuro was interested enough in the voice that he had to force his eyes open to see who it was.  
He was in too much pain to get his brain to connect the voice to a person unless he actually looked. **"Oh. It's you...you've picked a bad time to be a tourist.."**  
Just getting those words out caused the pain in his chest to increase and so Kankuro stopped talking after that and squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.   
  
  
But he didn't have to talk anymore because a frantic doctor stepped up to Kitsune to explain the situation. **"Kankuro-san has been poisoned and we aren't able to do anything for him. We can't even give him something to numb the pain because it might react badly with the poison and cause it to spread faster. We had Lady Chiyo, our best healer, look him over but she wasn't able to do anything either. Hopefully someone from Konoha will be here to help but it's up to a three day walk...more if there are sand storms."**  
  


 **"Poisoned...You said? There's someone who could go against even Kankuro, at poison? Poison...Don't tell me you somehow managed to run into Akasuna no Sasori?! Gods...If not even Lady Chiyo managed to cure him, then there's no other. Hang in there, Kankuro, if Sasori did this to you, I have a shot at keeping you stable until Sakura comes. If Konoha sent help, I'm sure the Hokage sent her. Sakura's the best, okay? She can save you, no doubt. Do you hear me, Neko-chan?! Hang in there, fight, and show Sasori that you're the best!"** Kitsune said, fired up by the information given to her by the doctor, which made her nod and ask the medical nin for the medical report and for the laboratory, so she could create a temporary relief for the boy.  
  
She wasn't a proper medical nin, not like Sakura, but she knew a bit more than average.  
Most shinobi are unaware of the dangers that lurk every second while on missions, dangers that can cause wounds.  
Wounds can be treated, but most teams don't have a medical nin, which is why the death rate is pretty high.  
  
Although she started learning medical jutsu for noble causes, she felt like a traitor.  
A traitor who betrayed not only herself, but Konoha, Suna, Kankuro and her old friend...Sasori.  
As much as she admired the puppeteer, and thanked him for teaching her the basics of chakra strings, he also taught her about poisons and antidotes of every type.  
She's been using weapons bathed in lethal poisons for years, but now, the poisons she prided herself with, were threatening her Kitten's life, which meant she had to destroy every principle she had, to save him.  
  
 _ **But it was worth it.**_  
  
She only had to wait a day before Sakura arrived, and once she did, she knew the information she had would help the pinkette work fast and efficient.  
Until then, she knew she had to work tirelessly to create the antidote.  
  
That day passed as slowly as a year, it seemed to the girl, as she could barely think of anything else but the state Kankuro was in when she arrived.  
She was determined to ease away the pain in any way possible, by any means necessary.  
  
Wiping her brow, she smiled softly at the jade-green antidote in the small vial, and getting up shakily, she made her way to the patient and sat down besides him, gazing at him as she caressed his face, before looking at the doctor and telling him about the antidote, a formality needed in order to be allowed to get the patient to drink it.  
She only hoped the antidote would work fast enough for him to feel less pain, and that Sakura would come faster so she could take away the poison from his system, before it was too late.  
  
 **"Hang in there, Neko-chan. I'm here. Kitsune is here, okay? I won't let you leave me before you can finally beat me at sparring. I'm like a parasite, y'know that. You can't get rid of me, even if you wanted."**  The fox-like girl chuckled weakly, trying to ease her own mind before kissing him hand once again before administering the liquid.

 **"Urgh...Couldn't you make it taste better...?"** he uttered, choking on the serum, still not able to properly open his eyes, and so, not being able to see her face.  
In truth, he has never seen her face.

They first met when the Hokage assigned her, an ANBU, to show him around the village, in a way to make her take a break from all the difficult missions, and despite being rather socially awkward, they got along really well.  
Her fox mask was hiding all her fox-like features, the sly smirk, the mischievous glint in her emerald eyes, the beautiful, flawless porcelain skin...  
Or at least, that's how he imagined her.

The first day they met, they agreed to take each other's mask/hood off, but she tricked him, so she got to see him without his hood, but he couldn't reciprocate and from then on, he's been trying endlessly, but to no avail, to see her face.  
It was maddening for him, and it got to the point where he'd just randomly get caught daydreaming at how she'd look like.  
Maybe once he gets better, she will allow him to see her face, as a reward for not dying...If he indeed doesn't die, that is.

* * *

 **"Goodness, Sakura, honestly, I've never been happier to see you! Please save him, I've done all I could! I need your help to extract the poison from his system! I've seen it done at the hospital before, but it's incredibly difficult and I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it. The antidote...I did it already. If there's something I'm a Goddess at, it's poisons. I-I'll fill you in on the details as we go, but let's hurry and prepare! I know, and I'm sorry...I know you've been running for 3 days straight, but if we stay much longer, who knows what might happen!"** the fox-girl yapped frantically, hugging her pink-haired best friend, green eyes staring into green eyes.

Sakura realised the gravity of the situation in a second, as she knew Kitsune never took off her mask, and now that she saw the obvious signs of sleep deprivation and general self-neglect and overwork, she realised that she was incredibly worried for the boy.  
She realised the signs of desperate emotions better than anyone else, for she would have been the same, were it Sasuke in Kankuro's place.  
The pinkette nodded firmly and rushed to the bed, reading briefly the status report, as well as hearing what Kitsune had to say and then started ordering the other doctors around, since she needed all the equipment ready.  
As she instructed the fire-kissed girl on the procedure, and they began to take out the lethal poison from his system and although the method was incredibly advanced and difficult, there was nothing those two couldn't do together.

Kitsune ignored everything around her, including Temari, her dear friend, Naruto, Kakashi, even Lady Chiyo and the others who had to restraint Kankuro from thrashing around too much, as the girls used water to take away the poison from his system, and after hours, as soon as Sakura declared that there was no more poison left, she fell to her knees, holding the boy's hand tightly in both of hers, praying to whatever deity existed out there for the first time in her life.

Soon, she found herself alone - she had no idea how much time passed since it was night outside, until she heard a grunt which made her shot up to her feet and look him him.

 **"Kankuro, how are you feeling? Are you in pain? Do you need anything? Water, food, some fresh air uh...Your puppets? Just tell me and-"** she asked faster than the brown-haired boy could even process, which made him roll his eyes and facepalm annoyed at her antics, until he realised that the one in front of him had nothing to conceal her face, and he could only stare at her with wide eyes, trying to usher any sound, but not being able too.

 **"Kankuro? Kankuro, answer me! Can you hear me? Is there something wrong? Oh my god, what if the poison got to his brain and fucked up his synapses...Or or maybe it damaged the temporal lobe? Or-...Oh my God, I must go get Sakura -"** much like a meerkat she rambled and rambled, until she heard a quiet **"Shut up"** , which had her stop in her tracks, slowly looking at him, concern still obvious in her eyes.

 **"Gosh...You're just as annoying as usual...Do you ever shut up?"** he tried to joke, but his voice was still hoarse.  
 **"Oh uh...Sorry I...I was just worried and uhm...I...I'll just go get Sakura and leave you alone. You need peace and quiet to recover and she's better suited for that. I'll...Uhm...See you."** biting her lip, she tried to turn away to leave, but was stopped by Kankuro who grabbed her wrist.  
 **"Don't be stupid, I never told you to leave. Not now, when I finally get to see your face. And it only took...What? 3 years? Gosh, you're hard to get. And it only took almost dying for you to forget to put your mask on when around me. Haha..."** he smiled softly, motioning for her to sit on the bed next to him.  
 **"You almost died, Kankuro. I don't think this is the right time to joke or point out the fact that I let you see my face. It's no big deal, after all. It's just a face, nothing extraordinary, everyone has one."** she shrugged, not understanding why he'd talk about that and not of other things more important.  
 **"Do you remember how we met?"** he asked with a soft smirk, analysing her mimic very carefully.  
 **"How could I forget something like that...?"** she muttered, slightly offended that he thought she would forget the day she met him.

* * *

 

The day when Kitsune went back from her highly important mission, she went straight to the Hokage's office to get another one, but was surprised to see a person she's never seen before, and even worse, Tsunade's smirk.  
Apparently, the blonde wanted to give her a break and had her mission be just showing the Sunagakure ninja around, only knowing that his name is Kankuro and he's the old Kazekage's son.  
The red-head cursed herself mentally since she was a terrible conversation-maker, but the time spent with him proved to be incredibly fun and soothing, since he was a sociable and friendly person.  
  


 **"So, haven't seen ya around. Are you one of Naruto's many friends too?"** he asked barely stealing a glance in her direction.  
 **"I used to help him cheat in the Academy. Then, we got separated, him with his team, myself with the ANBU and we didn't get to speak much. Then again, we meet once a month to eat ramen from Ichiraku."** she said as a tint of nostalgia hit her.  
 **"Heh. That sounds like a lot of fun. Wish I had as many friends as him, sometimes. He's so obnoxious, though, I'd rather leave that one out."** he chuckled, shaking his head.  
 **"Why do you think we only meet once a month? There's only so much hyperactivity one can take before it gets exhausting."** the fox girl smirked behind the mask.  
 **"How come you don't take your mask off? What, scared to charm me to death~?"** he smirked at her, stopping abruptly.  
 **"Supposedly, I'm on a mission. By ANBU rules, I have to keep it on. And not kill the one I'm supposed to protect, if it matters."** the smugness in her voice was evident, as she too stopped, getting closer to his face. **"Besides, it's not like I see you taking off your hood, kitty-cat."**  
 **"Kitty-cat?! Wh-What the hell?!"** he stuttered, looking at her wide-eyed in shock.  
 **"Well, clearly, this hood and the paint make you look like an innocent, harmless kitten. Can you prove me otherwise~?"** she tried to provoke him.  
 **"I don't look harmle-...Wait a second...You're trying to provoke me! Oh, no no no, missy, it's not gonna work with me! I'm a calm, collected person-"** he tried to say, but was cut off by Kitsune pinching his cheeks and saying **_'hey, kitty, kitty, kitty~!"_**  
 **"I'M NOT A CAT! STOP THAT!"** but the second he grasped her wrists, trying to make her stop, he halted and smirked. **"How about a truce? If I take my hood off, I get to see your face. Deal?"** he tried to reason.  
 **"Okay, fine. That sounds like a fair deal."** she stated calmly, slowly taking his hood off, then ruffled his messy hair.  
 **"That was uncalled for. I said I was going to take my hood off."** he pouted, trying to arrange his hair back.  
 **"Ah...You're right, I'm sorry. I was going to tell you that you might be the one charming me to death, after all, but...The deal was broke. Sorry, my fault~! Won't happen again~!"** she said, giggling at his betrayed face.  
 **"Y-You...! You tricked me! You evil vixen!"** he said desperately, trying to reach for her mask, but she quickly leaned back, inches away from his fingers.  
 **"Sorry, love. I guess I won't be able to kill you with my charm, just yet. After all, my mission is to protect you~."** she was biting her lip, trying to stop herself from laughing.  
 **"You're going to be the death of me..."** he sulked, hanging his head and crossing his arms.  
 **"Keep waiting and I might just be~."** Kitsune said, pinching his cheek and walking in the direction of Ichiraku's, willing to treat her new kitty friend to the best ramen in town.

* * *

Remembering their first encounter, she smiled softly, closing her eyes and shaking her head, grasping Kankuro's hand again with both her hands.

  
 **"How could I ever forget that day..."** she muttered, nostalgic.  
 **"Help me stand a bit, will you? I uh...Need some water."** he tried to find an excuse to get closer to the girl, who was already there with a cool glass of water for him, helping him in a standing position slowly.  
She was completely unaware of how close they are, her mind only focused on making sure he's comfortable and not in pain, but him, on the other hand...His face flushed a bit, and he could already feel his heart beating faster and faster, as she kept his hand on his lower back to support him as he drank the water.  
 **"You're a bit flushed, Kankuro, are you sure you're feeling okay? Your face got really hot and rosey all of a sudden...Do you have a fever? Gods, that'd be horrible-"** she started, putting her her hands on his cheeks and her lips on his forehead to feel if the warmth was unusual, but seeing that it was normal, she slowly backed away, her hands still on his face, looking down. **"Do you...Do you like me, Kankuro?"** she asked lowly, unsure of herself.  
 **"What gave it away?"** he asked awkwardly, chuckling as her scratched the back of his head.  
 **"You don't have a fever, so if you didn't blush because of that...Well...I could only think of one other reason."** she bit her lip, looking away, putting her hands on her lap, grasping them together shyly.  
 **"Well, there goes my confession. Never try to be romantic with a girl who knows medical stuff, she'll sniff you right from the start."** he chuckled, shaking his head and ruffling his hair a bit.   
 **"I-I...Haha, Kankuro, I wasn't expecting that, to be fair. I'm...A bit shocked."** she chuckled awkwardly, not knowing what to do.  
 **"Just when did you start calling me by my name, anyways? What happened to Neko-chan? It's not like you to be so serious for so long."** he gave her a mock-smirk.  
 **"Honestly...CAN YOU BLAME ME?! You almost died! I was so worried and you expect me to care about what I call you or if I wear the mask or whatever?! Since I came here I could only think that I'd have to live without you and like?! I couldn't stop worrying and crying and all you can say is WHY DON'T I CALL YOU NEKO-CHAN?!"** she yelled at him, barely stopping herself from beating him up.  
 **"Well...Yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying. I may not like it all that much, but if it's you...Let's just say I wouldn't let anyone call me that, okay? Look, I'm not good with words, okay? Yes, Kitsune, I like you, what else do you want me to say to make it more obvious? And you not calling me that stupid nickname, it's like, you're trying to distance yourself from me. Is that what you want?"** he asked, slightly pissed off at her lack of reaction.  
 **"Do you think a nickname is going to show you that I love you? If that will make you feel better, then fine, I'll call you that. But I still love you, with or without that nickname. I love you, Neko-chan. Just...You have so many things on your head that I couldn't dare to say anything...But I had to make sure you were alive and healthy. People need you, but I'm the last person you should think about."** she sighed, looking away.  
 **"It's because there are so many things on my head that I'd want you to be mine. So many bad things...Gaara getting kidnapped, the village getting attacked...But I have you. If I have you, then I think I can brave it all. You've always been with me, so don't leave me now. Kitsune...Will you be my girlfriend?"** he asked, putting his hand on the back of her head, getting closer to her face.  
She looked into his eyes with her jade-green doe eyes looking wide in shock, searching deep into his soul, and seeing with how much love he's hazing at her, the soft smile on his face, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, keeping him close to her.

 **"Guess that was easier than expected. I should get into life-threatening situations more often, if it means you get to kiss me."** he chuckled, smiling shyly at her.  
 **"Next time you say that, I promise you I'm gonna beat the hell out of you next time you say, got it, Neko-chan? If you want a kiss, go ahead and steal it. Ain't gonna make it easy for you, hope y'know that, right~?"** she slowly managed to get her infamous smirk back on her face, looking at him with her usual mischievous glint in her eye.  
 **"Better not complain when that happens then, Foxface."** he teased, kissing her again as he caressed her face, feeling the soft skin.

 **"Hey, Kankuro, how are you feeli-...Ohh, nevermind, I'll just come back later. Lucky you~!"** Temari's voice snapped the two lovers from their kiss and blushing, looked in her direction with a shocked expression, making her grin at them, leaving with a wink, putting her hand on Sakura's back to guide her out of the room. Pinkette who only gave two thumbs up and held a cheshire smile on her face, proud of her best friend.  
 **"Well...Guess there's no way to hide it now. It's official, and there's no way to shock anyone. Ah, what a pity."** Kitsune shrugged, the corners of her lips tugged upwards in an feign-innocent smile.  
 **"I wouldn't even think of hiding it. I can't wait to tell Gaara when we save him."** he chuckled mirthfully, hugging the girl close to him, laying back down on the bed, her head resting on his shoulder, closing her eyes and letting the peaceful atmosphere take over them.

  
They've been in love with each other for ages, but now that they confessed, their hearts are at peace.  
The only thing left to do was save Gaara and enjoy life as much as possible.  
  
 _ **After all...What's life without a little risk and love, right~?**_


End file.
